No matter how much the statistics point the other way, the only important figure at the end of the day is the final score. Sometimes, the luck just doesn't go your way. The Dartmouth field hockey team ended its 2007 season on such a fruitless note, falling short 2-0 to Cornell (10-7, 5-2 Ivy) to end the season with a 6-11 overall record and 1-5 in the Ivy League.
Dartmouth's overall record placed the team seventh in the Ivy League, ahead of Brown, and its Ivy record tied with Brown at the cellar of the Ivy League. Cornell's victory places its team third overall behind Columbia and tied it with Columbia for second in the Ivies.
Head Coach Amy Fowler expressed her regret that the team could not end the season in the win column.
"Obviously, we're disappointed that we could not close out the 2007 season with a victory," Fowler said. "We did some very productive things in today's game but were unable to put enough shots on goal. We therefore fell short once again in the goals-for column."
The inability to capitalize on opportunities and inconsistencies on defense has plagued the team throughout the season, and today's game was no different. The Big Green dominated Cornell in shots in the first half, keeping the Cornell defense on its toes with an 8-4 advantage in shots and a 6-2 hold in penalty corners. The result? A scoreless first half where the Big Green only had one shot on target.
Nine minutes into the second half, Cornell struck first. Catie De Stio stole the ball and streaked upfield, evading several defenders before breaking into the circle and swinging a pass to Brenna Gulotta, who punched the ball in to put the Big Red on top 1-0. Then, with under five minutes remaining in the game, Cornell added an insurance goal to give the Big Red a commanding 2-0 lead in the final minutes.
Mandy Malzberg received a long pass and was able to beat goalkeeper Ashley Heist '08 at the top of the circle and find the open net for the score.
Dartmouth had its chances, but could not capitalize. The Big Green held a 15-9 advantage in shots and an 8-3 advantage in penalty corners. The team had an abundance of occasions to score, yet the Big Green had just two shots on net in the entire game. On the flip side, the Dartmouth defense provided Cornell with minimal scoring chances, but each of the opportunities was extremely dangerous.
Despite the roller coaster season, the Big Green was able to close out the final four weeks of the season on a 4-4 note. The team had a season-crippling six-game losing streak right before that stretch, but was able to salvage their season in the final eight games.
Though the Dartmouth field hockey team has shown flashes of brilliance at various points in the season, the squad has not been able to sustain a high level of play for 70 minutes this season.
"Looking back on our entire season, it's positive that we were able to double our wins from last year," Fowler said. "But I'm disappointed in our Ivy finish, as I believe we were better than a 1-6 team."
The fact that the team only had back-to-back wins once this season did not help the Big Green generate any kind of sustained momentum.
"Our inconsistency throughout the season hurt us once again, so we'll look to improve upon that in the off-season," Fowler said.
Seniors Lizzie Bildner '08, Katy Hagy '08, Heist, Megan Strout '08 and Whitney Waugh '08 were honored before the game.
"Our preparation starts now with this underclassmen group," Fowler said. "For our five seniors, they gave everything of themselves today. I wish each of them the best as they finish up their final year here at Dartmouth, and thank them again for their efforts over the last four years."
