BALTIMORE, Md. --"It was a game of momentum."
Virginia lacrosse star Peggy Boutilier could not have more aptly described the Cavaliers 10-7 defeat of the Big Green women's lacrosse squad in the national semifinals on Friday night in Baltimore, Md.
The turning point in the contest occurred with just over 21 minutes in the game when Kate Graw '00 had seemingly knotted the game at 6 after finding a seam in the Cavalier defense and launching a shot past Virginia senior netminder Heather Castle. But Graw's follow-through drilled a Cavalier defender, and Graw was whistled for a dangerous play, and the goal was disallowed.
The momentum that Boutilier was speaking of shifted as the Cavaliers scored three unanswered goals to catapult them to a four-goal lead and an eventual 10-7 triumph.
"UVA played a great game and their tournament experience really showed as they took us out of their game," head coach Amy Patton said. "We looked scared as they came to goal. Our double teams came late which is a sign of nerves."
Virginia moved to 17-2 with their twelfth consecutive victory but fell 11-5 to Maryland in the championship as the Terrapins claimed their fourth consecutive NCAA title. Maryland defeated North Carolina 14-9 in the semifinals.
"We put our backs against the wall and tried to climb out of it, and you can't do that against a team like UVA," Patton said.
Dartmouth ended its season with a record 13 wins to go along with its three losses.
"It's a judgment call, and it was a tough one for us," Patton said of Graw's disallowed goal. "I think it was disheartening for the players, you could really see their shoulders slump after that."
The Big Green did, however, come back earlier in the contest after a slow start.
They looked to have a case of the jitters against the nation's top-ranked team early on as Virginia scored three goals in three minutes. Tri-Captains Kara Ariza, Boutilier and Jessica Hull scored for the Cavaliers, leaving the Big Green stunned and perhaps a bit awestruck.
Jacque Weitzel '00 put Dartmouth on the board with a low bouncing shot past Castle before Virginia notched two more.
"The defense really came out and pressured us," she said. "We couldn't find the open player and then we got nervous. We weren't as composed as we should have been."
Graw sparked the comeback by scoring on a free-position effort and then driving to the net a second time and scoring five-hole on Castle to draw Dartmouth to within one.
Sarah Carlson '99, who played spectacularly all evening, caught a tough break as the half was drawing to a close.
After making a tough, point-blank save with just under two minutes remaining and collecting the ground ball in front, she readied herself to make the outlet. Virginia's freshman phenom Mills Hook put pressure on Carlson and as she was moving backwards around the back of the crease, she tripped and fell, letting the ball fall out of her stick. Hook promptly scooped up the ball and deposited it in the net, giving the Cavaliers a two-goal lead.
"At this point, you can't let a play like that affect you," Carlson said. "You have to shrug it off and move on. I obviously didn't want to end the half that way, but it happens."
Just as she has all season long, Weitzel responded to the call by scoring on a beautiful free-position attempt to cut the lead to 6-5 setting up Graw's disallowed goal.
Virginia sealed the deal with a pair of goals just 10 seconds apart from defender Stephy Samaras and freshman Lacey Aumiller.
The Cavaliers won the next draw and played a ball-control offense, holding the ball for eight minutes before Aumiller scored the third of her quartet on the afternoon to make the score 9-5.
While the Big Green might have been surprised at the play of Aumiller, who was injured at the start of the spring, her head coach Julie Myers was not.
"Nah, she had a great first year. We have had a few injuries which opened a spot for her, and she played terrific," Myers said.
Weitzel and Aumiller each scored their fourth goals of the game within a span of two minutes.
Julia Morrill '98 and Jen Greene '98 concluded their collegiate careers by connecting on a Morrill tally with 13 seconds left to play to close out the scoring.
Virginia entered the game with the nation's top defense, while the Big Green has led the nation in offense for most of the year. Virginia outshot Dartmouth 39-21, raising its record to 15-0 when outshooting its opponent. But the Cavalier defense was the story of the day.
"We mixed it up. We probably played four different defenses throughout the game," Myers said.
Dartmouth's future looks solid with only three players graduating. Further optimism can be drawn from the sophomore class which scored six of the Green's seven goals. Combined with the efforts of Ellie Leahy '01 in net, who stopped all three shots she faced, and noteworthy performances from Gretchen Bell '01, Suzy Gibbons '01 and Amy Zimmer '01, the future looks bright for Dartmouth.
The trip to Maryland represented a homecoming of sorts for many Big Green players. Weitzel, Emily Fenwick '00 and backup goaltender Ellie Leahy '01 all hail from Maryland, while two others are from Virginia.
