The Dartmouth women's soccer team scored a big 1-0 win over Pacific 10 foe Oregon State at Burnham Field on Sunday, as it took an extra period to finally give the Big Green the victory over the visiting Beavers.
The only goal of the game came from freshman Aly O'Dea '12 in the sixth minute of sudden-death overtime play.
The Big Green (3-2, 0-0 Ivy) defense looked strong throughout the game, allowing only six shots in 96 minutes. Goalkeeper Laurel Peak '09 made five saves in total, with only one in the second half.
Dartmouth's attack kept Beavers' goalkeeper Colleen Boyd on her toes, forcing her to make nine saves on 16 shots to keep her team in the game.
"We play better against better teams," defenseman Thea Sutton '10 said. "We knew it was a big game, and that they had travelled far. We don't normally get the chance to play Pac-10 teams because of the distance, and we realized that we probably wouldn't get the chance to play them again soon."
O'Dea's goal came off of an assist from junior midfielder Myra Sack '10 after a scramble inside the box. It was Sack's second assist on a game-winning overtime goal this week, after setting up the 2-1 winner against the University of Maine last Thursday.
"Everyone played their part and stepped up to our game," Sutton said. "In games early in the season we focus on how we play, rather than what our opponents do. We did a good job on Sunday of staying tight and playing as a team. Our younger players, especially, have really stepped up. The [freshmen] are playing really well and are a presence on the field."
The game opened with a great defensive display for the Big Green, while forwards put continuous pressure on the OSU (5-3, 0-0 Pac-10) defense with crosses that just failed to connect with Dartmouth attackers.
Peak helped out her defenders by making two outstanding saves in the second half.
One game-changing save came in the 32nd minute, when Peak was able to deflect a shot from OSU's Julie Arrendondo straight over her head and over the net. Peak made another diving save later in the half to preserve the Big Green shutout.
A great chance for the Big Green opened up late in the first half, when Becky Poskin '09 just missed heading a cross into the OSU net from midfielder Katie Davis '11.
The second half of play continued in much of the same manner as the first, with more Dartmouth attempts and even fewer shots on goal from the Beavers. Dartmouth outshot OSU 7-2 in the second half.
The Beavers' counterattack looked strong at one point, but Sutton came up with two big stops in the box to keep the game at a scoreless tie. In the 73rd minute, Peak made her only save of the half by blocking a shot from OSU's Brittney Sheffield.
Dartmouth gained momentum at the end of the second half that carried into overtime as the Big Green kept the ball almost entirely in the Beavers' defensive half.
After some missed opportunities on the attack, O'Dea's shot finally put the Big Green on top.
"It's a big win for us because the Pac-10 is a really good conference," Sutton said. "Last year, the Ivies didn't do so well [in inter-league play], so only the Ivy champion got into the NCAA tournament. But if we keep playing well against teams in competitive leagues, that could change."
Oregon State is a member of the Pac-10 conference, a league that includes powerhouses such as past NCAA champions University of Southern California and current No. 1 University of California, Los Angeles.
Last year, the Dartmouth women's team failed to break .500 during the season, with many close, low-scoring losses. With a rejuvenated attack, this season looks to be more promising as the Big Green has already jumped out to a winning record with big wins against Monmouth, Maine and Oregon State.
"We have to keep up the momentum for Brown this Sunday," Sutton said. "They've also played really good teams and shown some promise."
The Big Green women's team heads to Durham, N.H, today to play in-state rival University of New Hampshire.
Ivy League play begins on Sunday, when the Big Green will face off at home against Brown at 2:30 p.m. Like Dartmouth, the Bears are off to a strong start to their season, with a non-conference victory over No. 11 Pennsylvania State Univesity and a scoreless tie against UCLA.
