The battle of big colors resulted in Dartmouth's (7-3, 3-1 Ivy) fourth straight win, while Cornell (2-7, 1-3 Ivy) dropped its fourth straight game. The Big Green is tied for second place in the Ivy League standings with Yale and sits behind first-place Penn. The Quakers hold a perfect 4-0 conference mark.
Early on, Cornell came out looking like the team that won the league championship last season by winning draw controls and dominating possession. The Big Green women were caught on their heels, and before they knew what hit them Dartmouth was down 5-1.
However, head coach Amy Patton had no doubt in her mind that her team would persevere under the early adversity.
"I reminded everyone about the goals we had for the day, and to not look at the fact that we were down four goals and take it one goal at a time," Patton said. "For the first time this season, I saw a belief in everyone's eyes and I knew that we would respond."
Co-captain Margo Duke '07 believed this was one of the Big Green's signature wins this season.
"This was definitely one of our best games of the season. The team played like a unit today and everyone was on the same page," Duke said.
The Big Green roared back to score six unanswered goals, including a stunning goal by Kristen Barry '08 where she faked out two Cornell defenders, to take a 7-5 lead and silence the visiting Big Red supporters.
Cornell tried to cut the deficit to one right before halftime, but goalkeeper Julie Wadland '10 made a save at the buzzer to preserve the Big Green advantage.
Dartmouth's comeback was sparked by a level of intensity not visible in previous games. Co-captain Whitney Douthett '07 commented on her team's never-say-die attitude.
"Today, we really brought the fight, which was something we haven't done this season," Douthett said. "For every ground ball, there were four or five girls fighting to get it."
In the second half, it seemed as if the Big Red women would make it close when they scored one minute in to cut the deficit to one.
However, the Big Green pulled away by scoring six consecutive goals in a stretch where Dartmouth dominated the possession. Jen Pittman '07 was a perfect 12 for 12 on face-offs in the second half. For the game, Pittman was 20 for 25 on draws.
The Big Red did not help out its own cause with repeated fouls throughout the game, amassing 28 fouls in total. Dartmouth committed just 12 fouls.
Barry led the team in scoring, torching the Big Red for six goals. Duke turned in an impressive game with three goals and an assist, and Pittman came through with two goals and three assists. Douthett had two assists, and extended her points streak to 49 games.
Michelle Shortsleeve '07 anchored the defensive effort with five ground balls and three caused turnovers. In goal, Wadland played the entire game and picked up the win with ten saves.
Patton was impressed with Wadland's composure in goal.
"A couple of tough shots went in early, but she responded well and found a way to make some saves. I was impressed with the way she responded, especially since she is only a freshman," Patton said.
The Big Green travels to Philadelphia, Pa., to take on the No. 11 University of Pennsylvania on Saturday, April 14, in a game that will have major implications for the league crown. The Quakers (10-1, 4-0 Ivy) are the current Ivy League frontrunners, and are coming off a 15-3 demolition of Harvard. Saturday's game time is set for noon.
