Last year's national runners-up, ranked No. 6 by Lacrosse Magazine and No. 9 by Inside Lacrosse magazine in the preseason polls, will welcome three attackers, three midfielders and two defenders.
Six states are represented, including Connecticut, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Virginia, all of which are high school lacrosse hotbeds.
This year's class also features three academic All-Americans, continuing to the program's tradition of academic excellence.
Women's lacrosse head coach Amy Patton was excited about the arrival of the new players.
"I think these players will complement the class of 2010 very well and I'm really thrilled about this class," Patton said. "Next year, the team will have 17 underclassmen, and I've never worked with that many underclassmen before. I'm really looking forward to it because they will bring a lot of energy and are eager to learn."
Patton added that although Dartmouth cannot give athletic scholarships due to Ivy League regulations, this has not hurt the recruiting process.
"It's actually an advantage that we're in the Ivy League, because it's one of the premier leagues in lacrosse," she said. "Dartmouth's academic prowess always attracts a talented group of student-athletes, and financial aid can make it happen for anyone that wants to go here so it's not really an issue."
Highlighting the recruiting class is midfielder Greta Meyer '11, one of the most sought-after recruits in the country from Denver, Colo. and named as a top emerging player by Inside Lacrosse.
Meyer, who possess keen field sense, was a first team All-America and academic All-America selection at the Kent Denver School.
Joining Meyer at midfield are two high school rivals from Connecticut. Shannie MacKenzie '11 is a midfielder from Greenwich, Conn. and is currently senior captain at Greenwich High School. She earned honorable mention All-America honors this past season. MacKenzie is a versatile midfielder and a tough defender, and she will be counted on to snuff out opposition attacks.
Kat Collins '11 hails from neighboring Darien, Conn. and plays for Darien High School. She will be this year's captain for a Darien team that was ranked sixth in the nation last year. Collins is a big physical presence on the field and is deceptively fast. A natural scorer, she has a knack for finding the back of the net.
Asked if choosing Dartmouth was a difficult decision, Collins responded that Dartmouth was definitely her first choice.
"I've always known that I wanted to go to Dartmouth ever since I came to lacrosse camp here and got a really good feel for the school. Everyone is so nice and I never got the edgy feel that I got from people at other schools," Collins said.
Kathleen Wallace '11 is an attacker from Shoreham, N.Y. and currently attends Shoreham-Wading River High School. An academic All-American, her unselfish play on the field will create many scoring opportunities for her teammates.
On attack, the Big Green welcomes two more new faces with contrasting backgrounds.
Abigail Holden '11 is a resident of Alexandria, Va. and attends the St. Stephens and St. Agnes School, a feeder school for Dartmouth lacrosse. Holden has been well-coached, and while her style of play is not flashy, she is steady and dependable.
She is dependable in the classroom as well, as she earned academic All-America honors this past spring.
Complimenting Holden will be Broghan Cully '11 from Duxbury, Mass. A standout in both ice hockey and lacrosse at Noble and Greenough, Cully contemplated playing ice hockey instead of lacrosse at the next level. Her hockey experience has helped her develop quick hands and great acceleration.
Defender Kelly Hopley '11, Meyer's teammate at Kent Denver, will bring energy to the Big Green defensive line. A fiery and feisty player, Hopley always plays with a never-say-die attitude. Her physical strength will contribute to solidify the defense.
Rounding out the recruiting class is Hope McIntyre '11, a defender out of Dulaney High School in Cockeyesville, Md. Her brother, Tyler McIntyre '08, is a defender on the men's lacrosse team. McIntyre has a high lacrosse IQ and will be counted on to make smart plays on the defensive line.
Although the recruiting class included no goalkeepers, it is not an issue since the Big Green already has depth at the position.
"Right now, we have Ashley Heist '08, Chelsea Kirk '10 and Julie Wadland '10, so getting a goalie was not a priority for us. The main goal for this class was to get midfielders and then some line attackers and line defenders. We got what we needed in this class," Patton said.
Several members of the recruiting class will be reuniting with former teammates. Next year, Meyer and Hopley will join Kent Denver alumna Molly Parker '10, and Collins will share the filed with former Darien teammate Eliza Bennett '10.
Collins is looking forward to being teammates with Bennett again.
"I'm really excited to play with Eliza again. She is a great player and a strong personality, so to know someone like that who can be your mentor is really great," Collins said.
Patton mentioned the advantages of having players come from the same high school programs, and added that the student body's enthusiasm contributes to the recruiting process.
"It's definitely an advantage, because the recruits get to see how everyone loves not just lacrosse but Dartmouth in general, which is what you want. Everyone here, including the students, sells the school really well since everyone in genuinely excited about Dartmouth. Really, the hardest part is getting people to take a look," Patton said.
The recruits will be counted on to continue Dartmouth's successes. Under Patton's tenure, the team boasts an 81.8 percent winning percentage in league play, with eight league championships in fourteen years. The team has been successful in the NCAA tournament as well, making four Final Four appearances including last year's appearance in the national final against Northwestern.
This year's squad will begin the season on Saturday, Feb. 10 at home with a scrimmage against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. The Big Green beat the Irish 14-8 in last year's national semifinals.
Dartmouth's first official game is against national power Syracuse on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Scully-Fahey Field in Hanover.
