In its 29th year of existence, the Dartmouth Women's Lacrosse team has evolved into one of the most talented programs in the country. With a solid core of 15 of returning players, the Big Green is eager to see what the 2001 season will hold.
In 1998 and 1999, the team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and last season, though once ranked No. 2 in the nation and having a 10-game winning streak, the injury-ridden Big Green were knocked out of the playoffs by Duke in a 7-6 defeat.
The graduated star senior starters Jacque Weitzel, Kate Graw, Melissa Frazier, and Whitney Hale have left some holes in the team. The 2000 class left an impressive legacy, with four Ivy League titles, a 26-1 Ivy League record and three NCAA post-season tournament appearances.
The Ivy League is one of the strongest lacrosse leagues, and with the growth of the NCAA Tournament to 16 teams, and the Ivy League gaining an automatic bid, the Big Green is in the hunt for another Ivy title and another bid to the tournament. Dartmouth is currently ranked 12th in the IWCLA Division I Women's Lacrosse Rankings poll.
One of the biggest strengths for Dartmouth this year will be its experience in the backfield. Two talented goalies, Brittany D'Augustine '01 and Sarah Hughes '02 anchor the defense, which has three returning players, '02s Katy Cuneo and Jen Newitt, and captain Gretchen Bell '01. Joining the line are '04s Lea Kiefer and Jaclyn Strife.
On attack, Amy Zimmer '01, '02s Katie Goonan and Kate Cole '02, and Whitney Jamison '03 will be joined by '04s Elizabeth Right, Molly Jenkins and Lana Smith, all of whom will have to step up to fill the shoes of Jacque Weitzel.
In the midfield, captain Suzy Gibbons '01 leads fellow '01s Liz Merritt and Kerry Lenehan, '02s Alison Moulin and Amy Frazier, Meredith Roy '03, and '04s Rowan Smith and Kate Killen.
The Big Green have been playing since December, when they traveled to Australia for a 17-day exhibition tour. The team went 2-2-1 on the 17-day trip down under.
The Big Green took on the South Australia State Team, the country's national champion for twelve of the past thirteen years in the Adelaide Super-Drome (an Olympic cycling venue). South Australia won, 15-11.
The following day, Dartmouth and Glenelg Lacrosse Club (the 2000 Australian state champion team) played to a 9-9 draw. The game was played under international rules, which include slashing, no restraining lines and a nine-on-nine setup.
The Big Green took its first victory against the Brighton Bombers Lacrosse Club, which is considered one of the best women's teams in South Australia. The Big Green then rolled to a 9-3 victory over the South Australia Under 21 team. However, in the final matchup on the trip, the South Australia State Team defeated Dartmouth, 9-6.
In the season opener on March 4, Zimmer and Merritt each scored three goals, leading the team to a 13-4 victory over New Hampshire.
The team tallied another win over the seventh ranked Boston University Terriers in a three-overtime game. Zimmer scored the game-winning goal with 2:13 remaining in the third overtime to cap the Big Green's 9-8 victory over the Terriers.
However, this past Saturday, despite hat-tricks by Moulin and Gibbons, the Dartmouth women's lacrosse team fell to Yale, 13-7. This was the Bulldogs first victory over the Big Green since 1991.
On Sunday, Dartmouth scored the first six goals of the game in a 19-5 victory over Columbia. The Big Green scored four times in the first 6:38 of the game and led 10-2 at halftime.
The team's first home game will be this Saturday at 1p.m. against Brown. The Bears are coming off last season's 6-8 campaign, and have graduated six starters, leaving a crop of 11 freshmen to populate the team.
With the momentum from previous years and from the successful beginning of this season, there is no doubt that the Big Green will continue to add to its tradition of excellence in the 2001 season.
