For the Dartmouth women's soccer team, this past Saturday's match against Harvard was one of its best performances to date, yet it ultimately proved frustrating. The Big Green outplayed the Harvard Crimson for the better part of the match, but was unable to come up with the victory, and Dartmouth suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in Cambridge, Mass.
Dartmouth (3-9-2, 1-3-1 Ivy) had numerous chances in both halves and looked to be the more potent side, but the Big Green was unable to put the ball in the back of the net against a Crimson team (10-4-1, 3-2 Ivy) that seemed outmatched, especially in the second half.
"Sometimes you can outplay your opponent and come out on the wrong end; that's just how soccer is," Maggie Goldstein '10 said. "Last year, we won a lot [of games] by a goal and got a lot of breaks, but this year we're just coming out on the wrong end. The whole team played well, and it was a team effort. When it's a big rivalry and you haven't lost to them in seven years, losing after playing so well is such a disappointment."
With the win, Harvard now takes the slight edge in historic rivalry, 14-13-2.
The Big Green came out moving the ball well in the first half, connecting on crisp passes in spite of the soggy field conditions.
However, while the Big Green played well throughout the first half, it was Harvard who would score the game's lone goal. Dartmouth had a bad clear from its defensive end in the 37th minute and Harvard's Megan Merritt pounced on the mistake, putting the ball in the net and punishing the Big Green for its error.
In the second half, the pace of the game and the intensity picked up as the rainfall stopped. The Big Green came out with a sense of urgency and put heavy pressure on the Crimson defense.
"We were able to play with more rhythm in the second half," Goldstein said. "We were really knocking on their door a lot, and were able to mount direct attacks."
Much of the play was in Harvard's end throughout the second half, and the Big Green dominated the Crimson in the possession battle. The second half also saw its fair share of chippy play, as the Crimson and the Big Green combined for 14 fouls.
Peyton Tata '11 unleashed six shots on the day and had several close calls, but could not squeeze the ball past Harvard goalkeeper Lauren Mann. Goldstein, Myra Sack '10 and co-captain Annie Stanley '08 also came up with great chances, but none of them could put the ball home.
"They got one good shot on goal and scored, but for the most part we dominated the play," Monica Martin de Bustamante '08 said. "Things didn't go our way, we didn't score and the result doesn't reflect the way we played but once again we'll keep working hard."
Big Green keeper Amanda Webb '08 made six saves on the day, while Mann made four saves to preserve the shutout.
Dartmouth will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 3, when the team faces Cornell at Burnham Field on senior day, which is also the team's final home game.
The Big Red has struggled thus far, as the Cornell women have dropped seven straight to arrive at a 4-10-0 overall record and a 0-5 Ivy League mark. The Big Red is also 0-7-0 away from Ithaca.
Goldstein expects the match-up against the Big Red to be an emotional one, since it will be the last home contest for the seniors.
"We have a lot to prove, and we're just going to play for each other and the program," Goldstein said. "You're going to see a lot of heart out there."
