"After they got the ball with three minutes left the offense never got possession," co-captain Nick Bonacci '07 said. "Albany did a great job of keeping it on our end."
With the Big Green leading 14-12 with two minutes to play, Albany (12-1, 4-0 America East) closed the gap in a hurry. Albany's Frank Resetarits prevented the upset after tormenting Dartmouth (4-8, 1-3 Ivy) all game long. Resetarits scored three goals in the final two minutes, including the game winner with six and a half seconds left to give the Great Danes the edge.
"It's not fun [to lose that way] obviously," Bonacci said. "I've been on the other side of it and it's exciting; sometimes you end up on the wrong side of it. It just happens."
Resetarits' two-minute hat-trick was part of a seven-goal day for the senior. Fellow attackman Merrick Thomson scored five goals, with only two other Albany scorers contributing to the team's 15-goal total.
Dartmouth, known for its balanced, meticulous offense, saw a spike in production against Albany. Brian Koch '09 led the Big Green offense with five goals and two assists, and Ari Sussman '10 notched four goals and an assist to keep Dartmouth competitive against an opponent that has defeated No. 5 Johns Hopkins, No. 14 UMBC and No. 16 Colgate this season.
"We just moved the ball really well," Bonacci, the team's leader in assists, said. "They were playing a style of defense that left a lot of guys open. Our ball movement was a good testament to our team offense."
It has been a season of ups and downs. After an 0-3 start, Dartmouth rallied to win four consecutive games before incurring its current five-game losing streak that includes a one-goal loss to No. 3 Virginia and now a one-goal loss to the Great Danes.
The Big Green's schedule features seven top-20 teams this season, and the strength of their schedule seems to have caught up with them.
Dartmouth's highly competitive schedule has meant a lot of losses this season, but may pay dividends down the road.
"It's definitely going to help the program over the next couple years," Bonacci said. "The younger guys are going to be used to playing big games."
While the payoff for the team's tough schedule may be reaped after Bonacci graduates, the senior is being recognized this season for his career at Dartmouth. Bonacci is one of 10 nominees for the Lowe's Senior CLASS award. The award is given to the most outstanding student-athlete in a graduating class, and is determined by coaches, media and the public in an online vote.
"I'm really excited about that, and I think a good amount of people have passed around the word and voted for me, and that's been great," Bonacci said.
Dartmouth returns to action on Saturday when it takes on its fourth-ranked team in five games, visiting No. 7 Princeton.
