Editor's note: This is the seventh in a series of articles profiling members of the Class of 2004 on Dartmouth varsity sports teams.
Anyone who doubts that the members of the Big Green Women's Soccer Class of 2004 are a close-knit group need only speak with them for a few minutes. They call each other by names like "Tex" and "Spoons," share fond memories of preseason camping trips, are quick to name their favorite movie on road trips (When Harry Met Sally), and relish the opportunity to embarrass head coach Erica Walsh with an anecdote from practice.
"In the middle of preseason," said forward/midfielder Lea Kiefer '04, "we're in the middle of this entire field of dandelions, and Coach Walsh says, 'OK everyone, put the balls over there by that extraordinarily long dandelion.' And we spent the next 35 minutes picking up all the balls, because they went everywhere."
During their first two seasons with the Big Green, the '04s have spent more time putting those same balls in the backs of nets. The '04s have helped bring home two Ivy League titles and have made two trips to the Round of 16 in the NCAA tournament, and they are quick to credit team chemistry with a large role in the team's success."
According to Kiefer, "I think that the team chemistry and trust in each other is what's carried us this far. When you look at our team on paper, we're not statistically supposed to be in the top 13 teams in the nation."
Midfielder/defender Kellian Partridge '04 added that her first two years on the team have "been more than I expected. It's amazing how close-knit the team chemistry we have is."
The '04s' road to Hanover was paved with surprise, as Kelly Blasius Knudsen '91 resigned as head coach immediately following the 1999 season. According to Partridge, "There was definitely a lot of uncertainty when Kelly quit, and there was this window period where we didn't have a coach." However, when Walsh, who had been an assistant under Knudsen, was named as her replacement, it brought reassurance to the '04s.
According to goalkeeper Julia Shields '04, "The assistant coach is the one who goes out to the tournaments and scouts the teams, and picks out the players that they want. So, when [Coach Walsh] came in, we knew that we were the class that she had pretty much picked, which made it easier to come in as opposed to a completely new person, where we were stuck with the new person and they were stuck with us."
When the season began, the only people involved who were "stuck" were the Big Green's opponents. Dartmouth went 14-5-0 in 2000, sharing the Ivy League title with Princeton, and advancing to the third round of the NCAA tournament before falling to national powerhouse Penn State.
Dartmouth's success in 2000 put the NCAA on notice that the Big Green women were ready to climb to the top of the mountain. For midfielder Janet Light '04, however, her choice of "climbing equipment" turned into a source of humor for the team.
Shields is quick to describe the '04s' fond memory of a preseason camping trip. "We're going up the side of this mountain," said Shields, "and everyone else has her backpack on, some people are carrying massive things of Gatorade, and here comes Spoons [Light], and she's wheeling her rolling bag, which is bright yellow. And we named it after we made the trek up the mountain, the 'Yella Fella.'"
The "Yella Fella" saw more mileage in 2001, as the team went 11-5-1, once again earning a share of the Ivy crown, this time splitting the title with Princeton and Pennsylvania. In the NCAA tournament, the Big Green scored a pair of 1-0 wins over Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Michigan before falling 2-0 to eventual national champion Santa Clara.
As they prepare for the 2002 season, the '04s hope to move beyond the Round of 16, and help Dartmouth continue it's upward climb in the NCAA Tournament. According to Shields, one of the keys to further advancement is a strong start to the season.
"We had a rocky start to the beginning of last season," said Shields, "and a higher seed coming into the tournament will make sure that we're not matched up against the national champions [again]."
For midfielder Anne Peick '04, confidence is a key to the Big Green's continued success in 2002. She feels that the team will benefit from the "belief in ourselves that we do deserve to be in the top 10 in the nation, and we will be there, because we can do it."
In their efforts to crack the top 10, the Big Green women will have the assistance of six incoming freshmen.
The '04s will now be looked to for guidance and leadership as the team's upperclassmen. According to Peick, the '04s know what it means to have a helpful group in that position.
Said Peick, "We've been really fortunate to have awesome upperclassmen when we were freshmen and sophomores, and I just feel that if I can be as helpful [to them] as they were to me, [we'll be ok]."
Shields adds that Dartmouth's playing style involves "having a whole lot of mixing between the age groups, and there really is not, once you step on the field, people breaking down into classes and whatnot. That's what helps our team chemistry, because obviously, when you step on the field, it doesn't matter what class you are [a member of]. All that matters is that you're stepping on the field wearing a Dartmouth jersey."
And in those Dartmouth jerseys, the '04s hope to continue to step off the field as winners.
