There are many cliches that get thrown around quite easily in sports: "must-win game," "now or never," "turning point of the season." Pick your favorite and use it to describe the 18th-ranked Dartmouth women's lacrosse team's home games against the University of Pennsylvania and Penn State University tomorrow and Sunday, respectively. If Coach Amy Patton's squad has hopes of a sixth Ivy League title and/or a favorable seeding in the NCAA Tournament, this weekend's games are crucial to their goals.
The Big Green women (6-3, 2-2 Ivy) have played well for most of the season, but currently find themselves tied for fourth place in the Ancient Eight, and have only an outside chance at securing a share of the Ivy title.
Dartmouth's title hopes require that Princeton (currently ranked first in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Association Poll) lose two of its four remaining league games, one more loss each for No. 5 Cornell and No. 12 Yale and that the Big Green wins in all of its remaining Ivy games.
That last part needs to start this Saturday against the Lady Quakers who, like the Big Green, are 2-2 in Ivy play heading into Saturday's game. Penn's offense is led by juniors Crissy Book and Kate Murray, who have combined for 33 goals in 10 games this season, but were held to a single goal each in Penn's most recent game, a 6-5 loss to Rutgers. The Dartmouth defense, led by co-captain Katy Cuneo '02, will be looking to once again frustrate the high-scoring duo en route to an important Ivy win.
The Nittany Lions will come into Sunday's game ranked 10th in the nation, and are on a roll after upsetting No. 3 Loyola last weekend. Sophomore Katie Jeschke scored five goals in that game and was named Warrior/Inside Lacrosse Player of the Week for her effort.
The win over Loyola was Penn State's only victory in its last five games, however, and the Nittany Lions currently stand at 4-6 on the season. The Big Green women hope to bring Penn State back down to earth while re-launching their own season.
Dartmouth Coach Amy Patton would undoubtedly love to see the same kind of balanced scoring attack this weekend as the Big Green had against Boston University on Tuesday. In that game, co-captain Jen Newitt '02 and Whitney Jamison '03 scored four goals apiece, while Alison Moulin '02 contributed 3 goals and 2 assists in the Big Green's 13-9 victory over the Terriers.
Similar performances against Penn and Penn State would go a long way towards giving the Big Green women a key Ivy League win and their first victory over a nationally-ranked opponent this season. While the team generally doesn't pay much attention to rankings or standings, there is no doubt that the Big Green women understand the importance of this weekend's games, both of which start at noon at Scully-Fahey Field.
