Both the Big Green (3-14, 1-6 Ivy) and the Big Red (7-9, 4-3 Ivy) were coming off tough non-conference losses in overtime. Last Sunday, Dartmouth was beaten 3-2 by Syracuse in extra time, and Cornell lost by the same score to Colgate. Both squads were looking for a solid conference victory to avenge the previous week's defeat and to close out the season on a high note.
The inability to capitalize on opportunities and inconsistency are two issues that have plagued the team throughout the season, and it was no different in this game. In the first half, Dartmouth held Cornell to only one score, a shot by sophomore Helena Haas at the 16:50 mark of the game. Dartmouth also outshot Cornell 9-5 and earned five penalty corners while the Big Red was only able to create one. The Big Green attacked relentlessly and created great opportunities, but they still found themselves down by a goal at the break.
In the second half, everything began to fall apart for the Big Green. Dartmouth came out flat in the second half while Cornell was firing on all cylinders. Sophomore Brenna Gulotta opened up the scoring for Cornell, scoring on an assist from classmate Alyssa DePaola just seven minutes into the half. DePaola got a goal of her own 90 seconds later, as she slotted home a penalty corner. Still hungry, the Big Red continued the onslaught as junior Lizzie Auer scored at the 47:17 mark. Senior Lindsay Moyer completed the barrage two minutes later by slotting home a penalty to make it 5-0.
The four goals at the beginning of the second half virtually put the game away, but Dartmouth never stopped fighting and added a few goals of their own. Whitney Waugh '08 scored off of a penalty corner at the 50:24 mark and Megan Strout '08 added another tally two minutes later to reach the final tally of 5-2.
"We played rather well in the first half because we held them to one score and we created quite a few chances, even though we couldn't score on any of them. In the second half, we came out a little flat and the four goals at the beginning really put the nail in the coffin, but I'm proud of the way the team came back and still scored two points," head coach Amy Fowler said. "Even with the loss, I think Strout and Kristen McCormick '09 played really well, along with Waugh and Ashley Heist '08. Heist gave up five goals, but not all of them were her responsibility, and she made some saves."
Although the Dartmouth field hockey team has played very well at times this year, the squad has not been able sustain a high level of play for 70 minutes this season. Fatigue has certainly been a factor. After a number of players quit, the team has had to play out its season with only one or two substitutes for each game, leaving many players on the field for the entire game.
"It's our 17th game and some girls have had to play 70 minutes every game, so I think that's taking a toll on us," Fowler said.
The team will only lose one player to graduation this year, defender Carrie Mae MaGrann '07, leaving hopes higher for the future. Although MaGrann's versatility will be missed, having the core of the team together for another year will help the team play more cohesively.
"Even though the lack of depth hurt us in games this year, I think that it bodes well for us in the future because a lot of young girls got a lot of playing time, and that will help us out," said Fowler.
