The Dartmouth women's soccer team evoked memories of last year's Ivy League championship in yesterday's 4-0 victory over Vanderbilt.
The Dartmouth squad was in command from the get-go, but finally etched onto the scoreboard thanks to two opportunistic strikes from freshman midfielder Mary McVeigh.
On Dartmouth's veteran-filled roster, another freshman Johanna Putnam and a junior, Gretchen Bell, joined McVeigh in Dartmouth's offensive explosion as the Big Green recovered from its early-season goal drought.
"We all felt it come together on the field today," McVeigh said. "We showed what we as a team can do when we believe in ourselves and in each other."
At least in the first half, Vanderbilt seemed to be Dartmouth's strongest opponent of the year. With speed and talent in the midfield, Vanderbilt threatened inside the Dartmouth box. But the Commodores paid the price as they left a thin layer of defense while Dartmouth searched diligently for a counterattack.
McVeigh put in the game-winner in the 39th minute as she drove in Emily Odegard's well-placed corner kick into the net.
"The win today was exactly what the team needed," Odegard said. "We have been in a bit of a mental slump lately, and I think today we felt ourselves come together as one cohesive unit."
Dartmouth's goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill was stellar as usual in the net. The victory improved Dartmouth's season record to 2-4, while Vanderbilt dropped to 4-7.
On Sunday, Dartmouth will host Brown at Chase Field.
