The Summer term has come and gone. In a few short days, sophomore summer will be a little more than a nostalgic memory. For those who return to Hanover for the fall, the air will be cooler, the days will get shorter, and the work might get a little harder.
But even though you've got a case of the end-of-summer blues, at least these three Big Green sports should give Dartmouth plenty of cheers in the autumn. Here's a look at how women's field hockey and men's and women's soccer should fare in the coming season.
Field Hockey
The Dartmouth field hockey team is coming off an historic season. The team finished last year with seven straight wins to go 13-5, setting school records for victories and goals scored. To top it off, they defeated Yale in a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory to take home the ECAC Championship Title.
Despite the loss of last year's talented senior class, this year's team hopes to pick right up from where it left off in 1995.
"I hope we can continue to make progress," said fourth-year Head Coach Julie Dayton. "The team feels it can step on the field and play with anybody. A couple of years ago, that may not have been the case."
Although six starters were lost to graduation, three of the top five scorers are returning, which should make for a potent offensive attack.
Sarah Sedgwick '98 and Weze Shorts '99 are the two top returning scorers, while Sarah Drake '97, Jen Karlen '98 and Emily Loudon '99 will add their considerable share to the team's offensive threat.
"The offensive group we have returning is very solid," Dayton said. "Despite graduation, we have the ability to score a lot of goals."
Dayton's squad will also be strong at midfield, where the team's tri-captains -- Kelly Hannigan '97, Amber Morse '97, and Amy Yost '98 -- will all be perched to lead the team from this year.
"Kelly is our team leader," Dayton said. "She plays with so much emotion and our team feeds off her. We need another good year from her to be successful."
Dayton will also need continued improvement from a talented class of '99s for Dartmouth to succeed.
"Last year the '99s made an immediate impact on the team and gained some key playing experience," Yost said. "This year we are looking for them to gain from their experience and contribute even more."
The biggest question mark going into the fall for Dartmouth will be in goal. Big Green legend Lauren Demski '96, who holds nine school records, graduated in the spring, leaving Kendra Kosko '99 with the inside track for the starting job.
Men's Soccer
The 1995 season was a tough one for the men's soccer team. The loss of a strong the class of '95 combined with injuries to several key starters resulted in a 6-11 overall record and fourth-place Ivy finish.
But with more experience and a healthy lineup, the men appear poised to improve upon last year's woes.
"We had 20 different players start games last year, which is highly unusual at this level," said third year Head Coach Fran O'Leary. "But last year's experience will stand us in good stead for this season. We struggled in the early part of 1995 but stayed together as a team. I am confident that we can build on our positive finish for 1996."
On offense, the team will look toward veteran front runners David Moran '97 and Augie Lopez '97. Moran redshirted last season and gained valuable experience from the coaches while sitting on the sidelines.
Fans can expect big things from the senior this season. "During my tenure at Dartmouth [Moran] has been dogged with injuries," O'Leary said. "But he has remained positive throughout and is an inspiration to his teammates. If there is any justice, 1996 will prove to be a year to remember for David."
At midfield, the team is stocked with talent. After missing the first five games of the 1995 season while playing for the Zimbabwe national team, Methembe Ndlovu '97 should continue his dominant play as a midfielder this fall.
Ndlovu will be complemented by sophomore Bobby Meyer '99, who started all 17 games last season as a freshman while scoring ten points.
"Methembe is a special player with the way he creates, and Bobby had an excellent fall and continued that through the spring. I also hope Keith Zadourian ['98] shows us the form he did as a freshman," O'Leary said.
Two goalies also return this year with proven ability between the pipes.
Matt Nyman '99 grabbed the starting spot last year, starting 10 of season's final 11 games to finish with a 1.54 goals against average. Matt Streng '98 should push the youngster for playing time this fall.
"This team is hungrier than any other Dartmouth team that I've been around," Moran said. "I think that each and every player believes that we can win the Ivy's this year, and we are all prepared to work and suffer to achieve that goal."
Women's Soccer
After consecutive strong performances in the 1993 and 1994 NCAA tournament, the Dartmouth women's soccer team entered the 1995 season with high expectations, but a series of injuries to key players took their toll on the team's chances. Despite a berth in the ECAC Championship last year, Dartmouth finished a disappointing 3-4 in Ivy League play.
Coupled with the mediocre season was the loss of Head Coach Steve Sampson, who left to take on coaching duties at Stanford.
On Aug. 13, Neil Orr, a former professional soccer player from Great Britain, was hired as an interim head coach for the 1996 season.
Despite the recent turmoil in the women's soccer program, the team returns a number of talented players with high hopes for '96.
On offense, the Big Green sport two of the most explosive players in the nation in veterans Melissa McBean '97 and Jenna Kurowski '97.
Kurowski tallied 23 points last year, and McBean added eight -- a substantial accomplishment considering she was probably the most closely defended player in the league. Both players were first team All-Ivy.
The defense, which returns all four starters, could be the best in the Ivy League. Holly Thomas '97 and Suzanne Eastman '99, both second team All-Ivy picks, will clog the middle, while Andrea Lodzieski and Camille Powell will cover the wings.
In net, Coach Orr will choose between Annie Eckstein '98, who saw some action last season, and Carrie Bourdon '99.
