After three Ivy League titles, three NCAA tournaments, two NCAA quarterfinal appearances, numerous All-Ivy and All-America honors and a trip to Australia, the seniors of the Dartmouth women's lacrosse team already have plenty to celebrate this weekend, as they prepare to play their final home games at Scully-Fahey Field. However, this weekend's games are hardly about nostalgia. Instead the 13th-ranked Big Green women will be looking to make memories this weekend with victories over No. 7 Duke and No. 3 North Carolina.
When asked about preparing to play her final home games, Dartmouth co-captain Katy Cuneo '02 said, "We've been trying to take things one game at a time all year, so the fact that Sunday will be my last home game hasn't even hit me yet. Right now we're focused on Duke." The Big Green women will do well to be focused, as this weekend's games represent a major opportunity for the squad to gain momentum as the NCAA Tournament approaches. A pair of wins would effectively assure the Big Green a postseason berth, while a pair of losses could leave Dartmouth on the outside looking in when the tournament seedings are announced on May 5.
The playoff implications alone should make this weekend's games exciting, but the Big Green's recent history with the Tar Heels and Blue Devils suggests that this weekend's games could be classics in the making. Last season, Dartmouth and North Carolina went to two overtimes before Lana Smith '04 scored the game-winner to lift the Big Green to a 7-6 victory. Two nights later, Duke narrowly escaped with a 9-8 victory, snapping Dartmouth's 10-game winning streak.
To win, Dartmouth will probably look for big games from the seniors, as all six seniors have stepped up in recent weeks. Co-captain Jen Newitt '02 leads the Ivy League in scoring with 49 points,and classmate Alison Moulin isn't far behind with 35. Also, Kate Cole '02 scored the winning goal against Pennsylvania, and Amy Frazier '02 has been a consistent force on offense, scoring 10 points during Dartmouth's four-game winning streak earlier this season. On defense, All-American goalkeeper Sarah Hughes '02 and co-captain Katy Cuneo '02 look to lead a Dartmouth defense that has allowed fewer goals this season than any team save No. 1 Princeton. The seniors will look to lead Dartmouth to two last home victories tonight at 7 p.m. and at noon on Sunday at Scully-Fahey Field.
