Late in double overtime, Casey Hazel '06 scored the eventual game winner, converting on a pass from Kristen Barry '08 to clinch Dartmouth's victory.
"Scoring that goal felt amazing," Hazel said. "I can't think of a better way to finish my last home game as a senior."
After Hazel's goal Princeton took possession with a chance to score before the overtime period expired. Princeton's Allison Murray fired a shot on goal with 36 seconds left on the clock, but goalkeeper Devon Wills '06 was able to make the save.
Dartmouth then maintained possession until time expired. When the whistle blew, Dartmouth players charged onto the field to celebrate.
The Big Green led 6-2 at one point and held a 6-3 advantage at the half. Princeton dominated the second half, however, tallying three goals while effectively stifling Dartmouth's offense.
"They had some good pressure," Dartmouth head coach Amy Patton said, "but I also thought we were pretty sloppy with the ball. We just got a little careless."
"We became a bit tentative on the attack in the second half which resulted in some turnovers, and we weren't shooting to score," Barry added.
Princeton finally tied the game with its fourth unanswered goal with 2:40 left in the second half, forcing overtime.
With three goals and one assist, Jen Pittman '07 led the Big Green in scoring. Hazel scored twice, while Barry and Whitney Douthett '07 netted one each. Douthett also had two assists.
"It is such an amazing feeling [to go to the Final Four], especially for the second year in a row," Annie Leibovitz '06 said. "It's really great for our program."
Joining Dartmouth in Boston for the Final Four are Duke, Northwestern, and Notre Dame. Dartmouth and Notre Dame will square off in the semifinals at 8:30 p.m. Friday.
"I don't know very much about Notre Dame yet, but I am so confident in our team. I know that we can play with any team in the country," Hazel commented. "We have an amazing coaching staff that will make sure that we are very well prepared for the game."
If the Dartmouth women beat Notre Dame and make it to the final, they will be looking to avenge a previous loss no matter who they play. Northwestern ended Dartmouth's season last year in the semifinals on its way to winning the national championship, and Duke beat Dartmouth 6-4 earlier this month in Hanover, threatening the Big Green's tournament bid.
The Big Green will have the shortest distance to travel of the four teams, and the Dartmouth players say they expect the location to make a difference.
"This is like a home game for us," Barry said. "It is a pretty close trip from campus and we are hoping to have a great fan base like we have the past few games."
Defender Lizzy Cuneo '06 had a similar opinion.
"It's certainly nice to be closer to campus. Boston is a lot easier for our fans to reach than Annapolis [last year's site]," she said. "Our fans have been great all season. Hopefully they will be able to make the trip. They make a huge difference."
