The team honored seniors Ashley Heist '08 and Kate Labrum '08 and captains Kristen Barry '08 and Liz Spence '08 for their last game in Big Green uniforms.
Dartmouth (7-9, 3-4 Ivy) fought hard against Duke (11-7, 4-3 ACC) and the teams remained even for most of the first half. The Blue Devils took the lead in the second quarter, however, posting four goals in the final minutes of the half.
Duke began the game with two quick goals from Allie Johnson and Jess Adam, but Dartmouth immediately responded when Broghan Cully '11 scored off an assist from Cate Goytisolo '10. Kat Collins '11 followed with an unassisted goal a moment later after fighting for a ground ball.
After another Duke goal, Greta Meyer '11 evened the score with a goal off of a free-position shot, tying the score 3-3.
Twelve hard-fought minutes later, neither team had scored to take the lead. Duke pulled ahead, however, with two goals, and Dartmouth was unable to close the gap.
The Big Green lost its composure, and allowed Duke to score three more goals, giving the Blue Devils a five-goal lead going into the halftime break.
"I don't think it was a bad game," Goytisolo said. "I really think the only reason we lost was because of the last two minutes of the first half. That lost the game for us, because after that, we traded goals and were even for most of the second half."
Barry also cited the end of the first half as the turning point in the game.
"I think that we stuck with Duke pretty well, except for the last two minutes of the first half," she said. "Things just went downhill from there. But the team showed a lot of character, nobody gave up, and we all kept fighting until the end."
Dartmouth entered the second half recharged and ready for revenge, but could not keep the Blue Devils at bay.
Duke scored the first goal of the half, and Dartmouth responded with a connection from Collins to Goytisolo, bringing the score to 9-4.
The Blue Devils scored two of the next three goals, bringing the score to 11-5 and putting the game out of Dartmouth's reach.
Duke maintained its advantage for the rest of the contest, matching every Dartmouth goal. Barry scored on a tough play, but the Blue Devils immediately answered with two goals of its own.
The Big Green kept fighting, netting two quick goals in response. Duke countered with three goals to take a 16-8 lead.
Despite the diminishing odds of pulling out a victory, the Dartmouth team continued to fight until the final whistle, scoring three of the last four goals, ending the contest with a 17-11 loss.
It has been a disappointing season for the Big Green, a team that reached the national championship game just two seasons ago. The women remain undeterred, however, crediting the team's losing record to youth and inexperience.
"This season was one of the toughest seasons for Dartmouth women's lacrosse," Goytisolo said. "We had only four seniors and two juniors on the team, so the seven sophomores and eight freshmen were relied upon a lot. We still have a very young team, I think that for our age we did very well for what we were up against, and now the freshmen have the experience to bring us into next season."
Barry noted that injuries and the loss of several upperclassmen hurt the team.
"Given the circumstances that we were in, as the smallest team probably in the country, with some injuries to critical players, and with a lot of people who quit, we did well," she said. "Being such a young team, we grew so much and really learned a lot this season. In sports, sometimes seasons like this can slip by undetected, but I really think the girls will learn from this year and they'll build upon it to become even better next season."
Barry commented on the players' emotional Senior Day ceremonies.
"There was a lot [of emotion] before the game. As seniors we've been through pretty much everything together," she said. "We've been to the Final Four and had seasons like this, and I'll always remember that."
Barry expressed gratitude to the team for guiding her through her Dartmouth career.
"I think I learned a lot about myself as a person," she said. "The girls around me were the biggest part of my life at college for the four years I was here. I learned so much about other people and working with others who were different. If I remember anything, it won't be about performance, just about how unique and special it was to be a part of the team."
