Dartmouth went down to Boston hoping for a win after a frustrating scoreless tie with Yale last weekend. But the Terriers proved to be too strong for the Big Green, shutting out Dartmouth, 2-0.
The Terriers' first goal came just 1:48 into the game when senior Teresa Petruccelli knocked a shot into the bottom right corner from 10 feet out on a pass from sophomore Katie Smurthwaite.
"We just came out slow," said Dartmouth head coach Erica Walsh. "Going down a goal in the first two minutes is going to kill you."
The early goal was particularly reminiscent of the New Hampshire game last week, when the Wildcats scored just 2:42 into that contest at Chase Field. However, the Big Green was able to overcome that deficit to defeat UNH, 3-2.
"It demoralizes you when the other team comes out and scores just like that, and it's the third time it's happened to us this season," Walsh said. "You find yourself battling back, and that's a difficult situation to be in."
In the second half, the Terriers got an insurance goal when sophomore Rebecca Beyer headed in a corner kick at 64:56.
"We certainly had some fire coming out in the second half. We created chances and had much better possession than in the first," said Walsh. "But it's the same problem. We're not finishing."
Consistency and completing plays have been nagging problems for the Big Green this season. Dartmouth outshot the Terriers, 9-7, but still wasn't able to find the back of the net. The Big Green also had the edge in corner kicks, 8-5.
Jamie Lang '02 led the Big Green shot parade, firing three. Shannon Agner '02 and Devon Haskell '03 had two apiece.
Still, none of them found a way past Clinton.
Said Walsh, "We need to find a way to score with consistency."
Between the pipes, Big Green goalie Julia Shields '04 made three saves. This was the first game this season in which Shields did not split time with newcomer Anne Marbarger '05.
Sophomore Jessica Clinton made six saves for the Terriers for her fourth shutout of the fall.
The win improves the Terriers' record to 7-4-1 (5-0-1 America East) and extends their winning streak to three games.
Dartmouth, meanwhile, falls to 3-3-1 (1-1-1 Ivy).
"I would say it is the most disappointing loss, certainly. But they all hurt. And we knew this would be a competitive game," said Walsh. "It's a home, night game for them, so they came out fired up and ready to go."
The Big Green is currently locked in a four-way tie for third place in the Ivies with Penn, Cornell and Columbia. Princeton and Harvard lead the pack with unblemished records.
Dartmouth takes the weekend off before facing Syracuse next Wednesday in Upstate New York.
Syracuse is ranked 19th in the coaches poll and is 6-4, including 2-3 in the Northeast Division.
Syracuse is currently nursing a two-game losing streak, having dropped difficult matches against St. John's and Connecticut.
The Orangewomen will battle Seton Hall and Rutgers before hosting the Big Green next week.
Last season, Dartmouth defeated Syracuse, 1-0.
"It's a huge game," Walsh said.
"They're number four in the region and they've had a good season so far. We've had a frustrating start.
"But there's no question that we can go there and play a great game."
Team Note: Annie Gibson '03 made the Ivy League Honor Roll again for her play in the past week.
Gibson, a junior, leads the team in scoring this season, with four goals.