This year in Dartmouth sports was the year of the woman. Nine Big Green women's teams reached some post-season competition. On the men's side, it was largely a year of rebuilding, as many teams fielded underclassmen with the hope of future success.
Here is a look back at some of the excitement in a year of Dartmouth athletics.
Women's lacrosse
One of Dartmouth's most successful teams in recent years, the women's lacrosse team once again put together a fine season and earned their way into the NCAA Tournament.
Ranked in the top 10 throughout the season -- as highly as number three when the first pre-season poll was released -- the Green entered the NCAAs with the tenth seed. In the first round, the team proceeded to upset Loyola in a rematch of the previous year's NCAA quarterfinal with a resounding 20-7 victory.
In their next match, the Green bowed out of the Tournament in a rematch of the prior year's NCAA semifinal match in a 20-8 loss to Virginia.
Nonetheless, Dartmouth's potent offense certainly ranked among the nation's elite. Led by All-Americans Jaque Weitzel '00 and Kate Graw '00 as well as honorable mention All-Ivy Emily Fenwick '00 and newcomer Alison Moulin '02, the attack was fierce.
On the defensive side, All-American Melissa Frazier '00 and co-captain Heather McNulty '99 anchored a squad which helped earn goaltender Sarah Hughes '02 second-team All-Ivy accolades in her first year of college lacrosse.
The Green won their third straight Ivy League title, with their clinching victory coming 8-7 against archrival Princeton on a last-second goal by Liz Merritt '01 in one of the most exciting Dartmouth sporting events of the year.
Best of all for the Green, McNulty is the only departing senior from this year's team.
Women's basketball
Led by a quartet of seniors and a superstar junior, the Big Green women won the Ivy League in a playoff against Princeton and earned a number 14 seed -- high for an Ivy League ball club -- in the NCAA Tournament.
Seniors Nicci Rinaldi, Katie O'Connor, Erin Rewalt and Gyvonne Pinkston joined shooting guard Courtney Banghart '00 to form Dartmouth's first Tournament team in three years.
Compiling a 19-8 regular-season record, including 11-4 in the Ivy League, the Green posed a formidable threat when they traveled to New Jersey to take on the third-seeded Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the first round of the NCAAs in March.
The 84-70 defeat that knocked the Green out of the Tournament did not dampen the enthusiasm over the team's re-ascendance to the top of the Ivy League.
Women's hockey
A fifth-place ECAC finish earned the women's hockey team a playoff spot, and the team made the most of it. Dartmouth went all the way to the ECAC semifinals after a surprising upset of Brown in the round of eight before losing to Harvard -- the nation's best team.
Seniors Kathleen O'Keefe, Wendy Soutsos, Sarah Halsell and Sara Nelson all depart from a squad that reached the semis of the ECAC the past two seasons, despite having 15 underclassmen on the roster this past year.
Women's soccer
Co-Captain Sue Eastman '99 won All-America as well as academic All-America awards this year, and led the Green to an Ivy League title and a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Green earned the eighth seed out of 48 teams with a 14-1-2 record, including an undefeated mark in the Ivies.
In the Tournament, Dartmouth defeated Wisconsin 1-0 and Georgia 2-1 to set up a meeting between themselves and the top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels in the Sweet 16.
The Tar Heels defeated the Green ultimately, but not before the Green had put up a valiant effort.
Men's soccer
Featuring a team of nine seniors and standing at 8-1-1 with a top-15 ranking midway through the season, Dartmouth seemed almost unstoppable. But an horrendous second half of the year saw the Green fall out the national rankings, and finally, out of the Ivy title the team seemed to have wrapped up only four weeks earlier.
A one-goal loss to Brown in the final game of the season gave the Bears their second straight Ivy title, which they won for the second straight year in the regular season's final game against number-two Dartmouth. While a year ago, the Green's exceptional play earned them an at-large bid into the NCAAs, the team's second-half freefall prevented a repeat performance.
A team which featured three pre-season All-American candidates fielded only one All-Ivy selection.
Following the year, the one All-Ivy player, defender Bobby Meyer '99 was drafted by Major League Soccer. Goalie Matt Nyman '99 signed with the League as a free agent right after the draft.
Men's Basketball
The men's basketball team provided two of the most exciting events on the Dartmouth sports calendar this past season.
Over winter break, the Green hosted the national powerhouse North Carolina Tar Heels in front of a standing-room-only crowd in Leede Arena. As a filled press table, including a writer from Sports Illustrated, looked on, the Green fought hard but succumbed to the Heels.
After the game, UNC coach Bill Gutheridge said Dartmouth's top two players, forward Shaun Gee '00 and guard Greg Buth '01, could, "play anywhere."
Perhaps the most electric crowd of spectators in Hanover this season showed up for Dartmouth's showdown against the three-time defending Ivy League Champion Princeton Tigers. The Green faced the Tigers, having lost several weekends earlier at Princeton and Penn, but having gained a reprieve with Penn's astonishing comeback win over the Tigers days later, Dartmouth was fighting for a chance at its first Ivy title in 40 years.
In a heated ballgame that lasted to the bitter end, the Green fell short in a 65-51 finish that belied the true closeness of the contest.
The following night, a spent Dartmouth squad led Penn after 10 minutes of play, but ran out of gas to lose by a count of 82-49. The score once again failed to reflect the Green's true stardom.
Having finished with a winning record and gone undefeated in the Ivy League other than season sweeps against Penn -- the eventual Ivy Champion, and a number 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament -- and Princeton, the Green established themselves as a force.
Returning all five starters and every key reserve from a year ago, the Green will likely open the season as co-favorites to win the Ivy League, and may crack the top 100 RPI ranking as Penn and Princeton did last season.
Football
Dartmouth's most historically celebrated sport continued its slide after an undefeated 1996-97 season, precipitously falling to 2-8 on the year. Senior quarterback Mike Coffey struggled to play consistently, and nearly was replaced at the helm of the offense by freshman Brian Mann.
Running back Reggie Belhomme '00 showed continued improvement, but still only had sporadic success. The defense which produced two NFL players only a few years ago gave up 45 points to Colgate and nearly blew the Homecoming game against the lowly Yale Bulldogs.
The season had few bright spots for the Green, who hope to at least get back into the top half of the Ivy League next season.
Men's hockey
With control of its own destiny for earning a spot into the ECAC playoffs, the men's team lost both games on the final weekend of the season-- to Harvard and Brown -- and watched the Bears edge them out for the last post-season berth.
With 12 team members from the Class of 2002 and another stellar incoming class, Dartmouth hockey should rise again under coach Bob Gaudet.
The losses of star center Ryan Chaytors '99 and role players such as David Risk '99, Matty Gieidt '99, Scott Peach '99 and Curtis Wilgosh '99 will hurt the Green, but a new set of leaders will emerge from the Class of 2000, and many new talents will come from the underclassmen on the team.
Softball
Beneath the veneer of an unremarkable 18-27 final record, the softball team made tremendous strides in its best season in history. The Green had never before reached double digits in victories, let alone near 20.
With freshmen Sarah Damon and Kristin King earning first and second-team All-Ivy honors, the Green will certainly have a talented core for years to come.
Pitcher Laura Mills '00 was the staff workhorse, providing quality innings in her starts and several relief appearances where the young staff faltered. Number two starter Chiara Grabill '01 was a duel threat, leading Dartmouth in several hitting categories as well as winning on the mound.
Men's lacrosse
The men did not come close to matching the success of their female counterparts, but ended the season on an extraordinarily high note. Despite a 5-8 record -- winning only two of six Ivy contests -- the Green's sparkling 10-9 comeback victory against Harvard in the final game of the year will be the most remembered event of the season.
Trailing 8-1 at half-time and 8-5 with five minutes remaining, the Green went on a scoring barrage to take a one-goal lead. As if redeeming himself for a season gone awry, goalie Andrew Dance '99 made a key save in the final minute of play to preserve the victory.
Baseball
Another talented baseball squad once again came up short in the Red Rolfe Division. Despite a charged lineup which included third baseman Mike Conway '99, one of Dartmouth's best players in history, slugging first baseman Aaron Meyer '00 and former All-American candidate Bryan Nickerson '00, the Green could not outdistance its typical tormentors, Harvard and Brown.
A pitching staff which will return lefty Jeff Dutremble '01 and righties Connor Brooks '00, Mark Swan '01 and Damien Roomets '02 should improve. Freshman starter Dan Becker is another player to watch in future seasons.
Skiing
The skiing team enjoyed another stellar season on the slopes. An astounding number of Big Green skiers earned All-American status, and the team finished in the top two in most of its Carnival competitions -- contending always with UVM.
All-American Dave Viele '98 capped a brilliant career with his second straight giant slalom crown at the NCAA Championships. Joining him on the All-America sqaud were Jen Collins '99, Gusty Swift '01, Barb Jones '99 and Marie-Helene Thibeault '02.
