The women's field hockey and soccer teams waited in anxiety yesterday afternoon as their post-season playing opportunities hung in limbo.
But good news was called into Alumni Gym as both teams were notified that they qualified for the ECAC post-season tournaments.
"We were hoping for a bid," field hockey Coach Julie Dayton said. "We were excited we got it."
For the field hockey women who had a season record of 11-5, a bid was nearly assured, but the Big Green were not overconfident because stranger things can happen.
"It is nothing to be taken for granted even with a successful season," Dayton said.
The women's soccer team, on the other hand, was a bit more skeptical about earning a bid because of its 9-7-1 record. Despite the disappointing record, the Big Green, however, have proven they could play with the best of them as their season was highlighted by an upset victory over Hartford, which was ranked three nationally at the time.
In Ivy League play, though, Dartmouth often struggled, ending with a 3-4 record. The Big Green did make some amends last weekend when they traveled to Columbia and overtook the Lions 1-0.
The win against Columbia was a key victory as judges on the ECAC committee sat down yesterday to decide which Ivy teams to invite to the tournament.
"We're really excited about it," soccer Coach Steve Swanson said. "Anytime you get chance to play is reward enough for the team. It's a chance to start a new season and see how far we've come," he said.
Soccer vs. Brown
In first round action of the ECAC tournament, the Big Green will look to make amends on a loss to Brown earlier this season. The Bears were also the culprits in ousting Dartmouth from the NCAA tournament last season.
"I think its tough in the Ivy League because so often you only get one chance at a team," Swanson said. "When you get a second chance, you'd like to take advantage of it. I think this is a real incentive."
Because Dartmouth was seeded higher than Brown, the game will be played at home on Chase Field Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.
Colgate and Princeton will play in the other quarterfinal match, while Monmouth, a New Jersey college and the number one seed, will await the winner. Number two seed Cornell will await the winner between Dartmouth and Brown.
"We need to come out with a lot of intensity," Swanson said. "We're anxious to keep playing. The last few games, we've seen a lot of improvement in our ball movement. Hopefully, we can get an early goal which can settle us down more."
Field Hockey vs. Ursinus College
The Big Green will host the ECAC tournament for the second year in a row and will enter this year's tournament as the number one seed. They will play the Ursinus, the number four seed from Pennsylvania, at 11:00 a.m. Saturday at Chase Field.
Ursinus, a team known for its strength in field hockey, should prove to be a challenge for the Big Green with its 10-6 record. But with a five-game winning streak, Dartmouth will look to continue this streak.
"They have a traditionally strong program," Dayton said. "We're looking for another good contest. We're at a point where we're playing really well, and we're not ready to give in."
Following the Dartmouth game, number two seeded Cornell will take on number three Yale. The winner of this game will face the winner of the first game on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
"We need to stay sharp mentally and physically," Dayton said.
