In the late1980s, singer Rob Base explained, "It takes two to make things go right." Over the last two seasons, that mantra has held true for the goalkeeping success of the Dartmouth women's lacrosse team.
The goalie platoon started last season, when incumbent Sarah Carlson '99 split time with newcomer Ellie Leahy '01, and helped take the Green to the Final Four. This season, another freshman, Sarah Hughes, has come on to the scene to join Leahy in net. And once again, the Green have returned to the post-season, beginning with their first playoff game today at Loyola College in Maryland.
The D in Dartmouth
This season, Hughes and Leahy have often split time by each playing halves. In more significant contests, Hughes has started and typically finished. In Dartmouth's last game - a 10-8 loss to fourth-ranked Duke - Leahy came off the bench in the final 15 minutes to replace a struggling Hughes.
"When I'm not on, I know Ellie will be," Hughes said during a joint interview with Leahy. "It's a good thing for me to know that I have Ellie."
The two stoppers have been the backbone of a solid defense this year for the Green. The front line of the defense is anchored by speedy All-American Melissa Frazier '00 and senior co-captain Heather McNulty.
The goalies know they form the last line of defense.
"We have to look at ourselves by ourselves," Hughes said. "And we also have to be part of [the defense]."
When the defense has broken down, the netminders have often been up to the challenge.
In the team's opening game against Maryland - the nation's top team who currently holds an 18-0 and the number one seed in the NCAA playoffs - Hughes stopped 22 shots. While the Green lost 14-4, Hughes' performance showed that the Green had found another clutch performer in the freshman from Broomall, Pa.
"I like the big games," Hughes said.
In another top performance, Hughes helped the Green win the Ivy League title by holding Princeton - ranked fourth nationally - to seven goals in an 8-7 victory.
While struggling in her last two games against North Carolina and Duke, Hughes will likely start against Loyola, and hopes to rebound quickly.
Three's a crowd
Of course, the platoon of Hughes and Leahy this season begs the question of what happened to the senior three-year starter Carlson.
"It really took me by surprise," Hughes said of Carlson's decision to leave the team early this season. Carlson had taught the younger goalie at a lacrosse camp several summers ago.
"She was a big part of the team," Hughes said.
Then she was gone.
"I was ready to step down and let the younger players play," Carlson said in a separate interview. "Both of them are amazing goalies."
Despite professing a love of lacrosse and of competing at the highest level, Carlson said she left the team to spend her time elsewhere.
"[Last year] was really exciting," she said. "I played in a lot of really big games, and so did Ellie. After beating Princeton [to win the 1998 Ivy title], I was sure I could handle anything."
Carlson helped earn the Green a first-round bye in the NCAAs and held Loyola to one goal in two overtime periods in the Green's quarterfinal match.
With the win, Dartmouth headed to the Final Four for the first time in history.
"We're never given as much credit as we should be, Carlson said. "We had to prove to people we're good."
The team exited quickly but not quietly in the Final Four, losing to number one seed Virginia. It would be Carlson's last significant playing time in a Big Green uniform.
Carlson said she has no regrets, and she still follows the team's progress on her own.
"The Dartmouth team [was] very lucky to have three amazing goalies," Carlson said. "We could all play at a high Division I level."
Carlson now works at the high school level, coaching Hanover High's women's lacrosse team five times a week in addition to other activities.
Saves and raves
Since the goalie situation was resolved, the two remaining players have enjoyed compliments from each other as well as from other knowledgeable lacrosse observers., like Carlson.
"[Ellie is] very calm in goal, she keeps the defense calm," Carlson said of her former teammate. "She's very consistent. She works extremely hard."
Hughes agreed Leahy's strength is her cool under pressure. For instance, Hughes cited Leahy's reaction to a goal by the opposition.
"Ellie's really good at ... putting it behind her," Hughes said. "[She is] very good at calming down the team."
Leahy's ability to pass successfully to open players when she has the ball has also helped the Green's offense in her typical second-half appearances.
Meanwhile, Hughes is prone to throw an interception, but is also more likely to hit a deep pass.
"Hughes can clear the ball longer than I can," Leahy said. "Hughes lets her adrenaline take her over while I just try to relax."
Carlson also said Hughes has many talents.
"[Hughes] has very good technique, she has good skills," Carlson said. Head Coach "Amy [Patton] really worked on her [few] weaknesses."
Whether Hughes' emotions are a weakness or a strength is tough to tell, but they are definitely something that cannot be coached.
"Our heart is what carries this team," Hughes said.
Sometimes aggressive play leads to mistakes, and a calm demeanor can be more advantageous. In either situation, the Green have the perfect woman for the job.
The coach
Standing on the sidelines is Patton, the woman who recruited all three goalies to Dartmouth and has helped them become some of the nation's best.
"I wanted a goalie coach," Hughes said. "[Patton] promised she'd do a great job and she has. I don't know another Division I coach who can coach the goalie position like she can."
Leahy said Patton gives lots of attention to the goalies, and has helped them greatly. But Leahy said her coach treats every player in the same way.
Carlson said she learned from her time under Patton.
"She's a very knowledgeable coach," Carlson said. "Amy does a good job of bringing everybody together - capitalizing on our strengths and finding the other team's weaknesses."
Like most of Dartmouth's players, the goalies seem to respect Patton's expertise in her sport and also to like her.
"I need to be supported by my coach," Hughes said, adding that Patton has done so.
But Patton will also take a different tact.
"She knows when to be 'the general,'" Hughes said.
What's next
Under Patton's leadership and that of Dartmouth's spectacular junior class, the Green enter the playoffs with hopes of eclipsing last year's success.
"I was just excited to be there," Leahy said of the 1998 trip to the Final Four. "Last year was a very special year."
Now that the team knows what it is like to be near the pinnacle of their sport, Carlson feels they could advance a step further.
"I think they can make it to the final game," she said. "They have the talent. It is all mental."
For now, the Green's mentality is the cliched one-game-at-a-time approach. But wins over Loyola and second-round opponent Virginia - the Tournament's number two seed - would put Dartmouth right back where it was a year ago: in Maryland at the Final Four.
And who knows what can happen then?
"Things are just haywire," Leahy said. "Everybody's beating each other."
Granted, nobody has yet beaten Maryland. But, as the song goes, if it takes two to make things go right, it takes two to make it out of sight.
