The Dartmouth women's soccer team is finished surprising people. Opponents, ranked or unranked, know the caliber of team that they will face when they step onto Chase Field.
The University of Hartford fell victim to the Big Green's lethal combination of a potent offensive attack and a stingy defense as Dartmouth defeated the Hawks 1-0 yesterday at Chase Field.
Sophomore Jen Murray's tally in the 32nd minute was all the scoring Dartmouth would need as the Big Green (7-1-1) picked up their fifth straight victory while Hartford fell to 7-4, with all of the Hawks losses coming to teams ranked in the national coaches' poll.
Dartmouth, who entered the game second in the Northeast region, dominated the first half of play, keeping the ball in the Hartford end and outshooting the Hawks, 9-4.
Murray controlled the loose ball 20 yards out, before blowing by a Hawk defender and unleashing a shot just out of the reach of Hartford netminder Ingrid Sternhoff, but just inside the far post.
As the half drew to a close, the Big Green nearly doubled their lead when Katie Roda '00 blasted a ball by Sternhoff, but it bounced off the crossbar, leaving the game 1-0 at the intermission.
As the Big Green retreated to protect their lead in the second half, Hartford took command of many of the midfield balls, but could never find the right combination for an equalizer.
In fact, the Hawks had a number of free-kick chances deep in the Dartmouth end, but could not capitalize on their 7-3 shot advantage.
When the Hawks found their way through the Big Green defense, All-American candidate Kristin Luckenbill '01 was there to slam the door. The sophomore recorded her fourth consecutive shutout and raised her total for consecutive shutout minutes to 434.
Luckenbill recorded six saves between the Dartmouth pipes, while Sternhoff matched her total at the other end of the field.
With the win, Dartmouth improved its all-time record against the perennially tough Hawks to 3-0-2.
Dartmouth will get a couple of days off before taking on Ancient Eight rival, the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday. The Big Green women's game will be a part of a Dartmouth double-dip as the Big Green men, who are ranked 17th in the nation, will take on St. Francis.
Waiting in the wings for the Big Green in the near future are Ivy rival Yale and national powerhouse Connecticut.
Last season, Dartmouth lost an early 2-1 contest to the Quakers in Philadelphia before they conquered the Big Green again in the ECAC postseason tournament.
Penn will enter this year's battle with a 6-1-1 overall record, with their only loss coming at the hands of last year's Ivy League champions, the Harvard Crimson.
Harvard's 2-1 win over Pennsylvania marks the only goals scored against the Quakers this season as they enter the game having scored 19 goals and given up only two. Penn netminder Anne Kluetmeier figures to test Dartmouth's high-octane offense.
