The Big Green field hockey team had their fans rubbing their eyes and shaking their heads in hopeful disbelief yesterday afternoon. This is what they've wanted to see all along. Their team -- the team in the green and white -- was finally cracking open the can of whoop-ass as the Big Green notched a 3-0 shutout over the Tigers of Towson State at Chase Field yesterday.
So the Big Green, now 5-4 overall (1-2 Ivy), are finally where they belong -- above the .500 mark. And when you consider that this was the same team that started off the season with a measly 1-4 record, the .500 mark suddenly seems more like a milestone than a barrier for the Big Green.
"We're all really psyched that we're beyond the .500 mark," said rookie sensation Kim Jenkin. "It's our fourth win in a row and we've got some nice momentum now."
Dartmouth's Jillian Joyce '01 gave the Big Green the early lead as she snagged a pass from Jenkin and shuffled it past Betsy Crossman in the Tiger net.
At the 20:09 mark of the opening half, senior tri-captain Lauren Worley bumped Dartmouth's lead to two as she zipped a hard solo-shot that dented the Towson nylon.
Not to be outdone, the Big Green's dynamic duo -- the Scopaz sisters -- orchestrated their own afternoon tally. Lauren Scopaz '00 weaved the ball down the line before dishing it to her twin sibling Kristen, who had little trouble finding daylight in the back of the goal.
The Towson State Tigers are probably fortunate to walk away with just a three-goal loss. Dartmouth's firepower on the front line was potent from the get-go as the Big Green outshot the Tigers 15-0.
Dartmouth's victory over Towson State yesterday marked the fourth consecutive win for the Big Green. The last time the green and white won four games in a row was in 1995 when Dartmouth collected seven straight victories en route to winning the ECAC crown.
While Jenkin is optimistic about this weekend's match against the Bulldogs, she's also weary of taking the team's recent momentum for granted.
"We're still looking to play the way we've been playing all along," she said. "Lately, the whole team's intensity has been great, and I think if we can keep it up, we can definitely beat Yale."
