The Dartmouth women's soccer team dominated the Vermont Catamounts 2-0 on a windy Tuesday afternoon at home on Chase Field. The tired Catamounts were no match for a dynamic Big Green squad, returning home to Vermont shotless.
The game started in disarray, with the strong wind steering several Dartmouth shots away from the Vermont goal.
But by the 30th minute of the first half, the Big Green had the lead. Dartmouth sophomore Roxy Davis received a pass from teammate Christina Ferraris '06 and struck a high ball that hit the crossbar and bounced off Vermont goalkeeper Lindsay Carfagna and into the net.
The frenzied Vermont team searched for a goal for the rest of the first half, but to no end. Dartmouth led the game by a goal at halftime.
The Big Green scored again early into the second half to secure the lead. Nicole Cameli '07 notched her first collegiate goal in the 47th minute of the game with Davis' assistance as her low shot glided past Carfagna and into the right hand corner of the net.
The win over the Catamounts was a team effort, with 18 of the 23 eligible Big Green players making appearances in the game.
"I am proud of the team," said Dartmouth head coach Ben Landis. "They really came out and played the game."
In all, Dartmouth outshot Vermont 21-0, and the Big Green's junior forward Ferraris registered eight shots alone.
Carfagna of the Catamounts made seven saves, while Dartmouth's Anne Marbarger didn't have to make any.
This game could have been Marbarger's fifth shutout of the season, except that she did not have to make a single save. The tight-knit Dartmouth defense proved impenetrable to the weary Catamounts offense.
"I'm really proud of our defense," Landis said. "The team proved themselves. One of the best players on the team and in the league, Sarah Johnson, is on crutches. The team won the game nonetheless."
With the bitterness of their recent 3-2 overtime loss to Boston University still fresh in their minds, the Big Green showed superiority in defeating the Catamounts, who had demolished Boston University 4-0 two Sundays ago.
Dartmouth improves to a 5-5-2 season with the win over Vermont. The Big Green will host Ivy League rival University of Pennsylvania Sunday afternoon at Chase Field.
