The lady laxers rebounded in huge way, just one week after suffering their first loss of the season, as they destroyed Boston College, 17-2. Connecticut native Jen Pittman '07 led the way for the Big Green with four goals on the evening.
Surprisingly, it was the Eagles who drew first blood, scoring the first goal of the game. But nationally ranked No. 4 Dartmouth didn't stay silent for long, retaliating with seven straight goals, resulting in a 7-1 lead with 1:42 left in the first half. In an attempt to change the momentum in the last minute of the half, BC's Shauna Culhane scored with 59 seconds remaining, knocking the Dartmouth lead to 7-2.
In the second half, the Big Green ripped off 10 unanswered goals making the final score a whopping 17-2 Dartmouth victory. The win improved Dartmouth's regular season home games to a perfect 9-0, the best its been since 1999.
"It was a great way to bounce back," said Dartmouth coach Amy Patton whose team improved to 14-1. "I thought we looked sharper today. Things weren't going our way in that first 10 minutes, 15 minutes, and I was really impressed that we didn't get frustrated. We let the game come to us."
Pittman added to her recent strong performances with another impressive day for Dartmouth. In addition to her four goals, a pair in each half, Pittman had six ground balls. In the net, the Big Green's gallant goalkeeper, Devon Wills '06 made 10 saves before junior Kelly Roy came on for the final six minutes.
Dartmouth's top scoring threat, senior Katieanne Christian recorded two goals in the contest. So far this season, Christian has netted 50 goals, good enough for a tie for seventh in the Dartmouth record book. She's also currently seventh in career goals with 116 and tied for 10th with 132 career points.
The Big Green grotesquely outshot BC, 42-18, and also had the edge in ground balls, 40-23. Boston College now stands at 10-6 for the season."We looked poised, we looked sharp," added Patton, "and our defense really stepped it up."
Dartmouth has only one regular season game remaining as they will be traveling to No. 2 Duke on Sunday. The game will surely make an impact on the NCAA seedings, as both teams are ranked amongst the top five.
The Big Green has already won the NCAA automatic bid by claiming the 2005 Ivy League title and is scheduled to host a first round matchup on Thursday, May 12. The second round will be played on Sunday, May 15, and the bracket will be unveiled on Sunday, May 8, at 9 p.m.
"The game has a lot of tournament implications, and we need a real, tough game right now," said Patton. "Duke's very good. I've seen them play and I think we match up well."
