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The Dartmouth
March 28, 2024 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Field hockey downs Harvard, struggles against Wake Forest

Captain Ashley '09 blows by a Harvard defender as the Big Green shutout the Crimson, 1-0 on Saturday.
Captain Ashley '09 blows by a Harvard defender as the Big Green shutout the Crimson, 1-0 on Saturday.

Dartmouth's lone goal came from forward Chelsea Dodds '10, who seized a penalty-stroke opportunity late in the match to put the Big Green (6-10, 4-2 Ivy) on the board. The goal was Dodds' second in as many games. The junior netted the game-winning goal in a 1-0 shutout of Harvard (6-10, 2-4 Ivy) on Saturday.

While Dartmouth never had the lead, the game highlighted a resilient Big Green defense that kept an aggressive Wake Forest (17-2, 3-2 ACC) squad at bay during the first half of play.

"I think we played the best we could," captain Ashley Hines '09 said. "We played up to [Wake Forest's] level. It was a positive experience."

Meagan Vakiener '12 posted another solid performance, tallying 17 total saves. Jordan Sedlacek '09 replaced Vakiener in the final minutes, pacing the defense with an impressive grab that held the deficit to four.

The Big Green, however, struggled offensively, as Wake Forest took control of scoring opportunities throughout the match, posting 33 shots, 23 of which were on net.

The Demon Deacons scored their first goal with 18:18 left in the first half, as senior Michelle Kasold converted on an assist from forward Kim Romansky after the two beat Dartmouth on a breakaway.

Wake Forest would capitalize on its momentum swing from the early lead, striking again during a penalty corner as forward Hilary Moore scored her first of two goals on the afternoon with a tip-in from the far post. The goal proved to be the game-winner

With six minutes remaining in the first half, the Deacons cushioned their lead as midfielder Liz Fries fired a shot past Vakiener on another penalty corner opportunity, sinking the Big Green into a 3-0 hole.

Dartmouth came out strong in the second half, but the Deacons remained aggressive for the rest of the match, carrying over their first-half energy with unfaltering pace.

Moore found the net for the second time just seven minutes into the half. Romansky, recording her second assist of the game, found Moore lying in wait at the post. The forward would tip in the sharp pass to give Wake Forest a commanding 4-0 lead.

The Deacons went on to add a fifth goal in the 62nd minute off a deflected pass that sailed past a surprised Vakiener.

Dodds' penalty goal with 8:14 remaining in the game prevented the shutout, but the effort was too little too late, as the Deacons' defense consistently shut down any possible scoring opportunities in the final minutes.

Penalty corners proved to be the deciding factor in the match, with Wake Forest doggedly pursuing defensive gaps in the Big Green formation. Overall, the Deacons won 14 penalty corners -- 10 more than the Dartmouth squad.

The Deacons finished in third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 17 wins this season. The team's only losses came to the University of Maryland and the University of North Carolina, who finished first and second in the ACC, respectively.

Wake Forest will now face Boston College in the first round of the ACC Tournament.

On Saturday, the Big Green defeated Harvard, 1-0, to extend its winning streak to three games before Sunday's loss to Wake Forest.

Dodds converted a penalty stroke with 12 minutes left in the second half for the game's only goal.

"We are extremely happy," captain Kristen McCormick '09 said. "The scoreboard was not indicative of how much we out-played Harvard. It shows how far we've come since the beginning of the season."

Both teams struggled offensively, combining for a total of 11 shots with Dartmouth taking eight and Harvard attempting three.

The first half of the match did not produce much excitement as both squads held the ball equally and played the majority of the game in the middle third of the field.

The best chance of the half came in the dying moments when Hines played the ball into the penalty area, and the lurking Big Green players failed to direct the ball into the net.

The shot tally at the end of the half was 4-2 in favor of Dartmouth, highlighted by a shot by Rebecca Sobel '11 that hit Harvard's goalpost.

"I think we were dominating the game," Hines said of the first half. "They had a good transfer ball, but we were well disciplined, and we had some good looks on goal but just didn't put them away."

Play in the second half picked up, with the Big Green and Harvard constantly attacking each other's penalty areas. Dartmouth held an advantage in initial time of possession, with Harvard advancing mostly on counterattacks.

The first clear opportunity of the half came 18 minutes from the end when the Crimson drove into the Dartmouth penalty area from the left side of the field. The Big Green took possession and opened up yards of space on the right in a counterattack led by Hines.

Four minutes later, Hines led another counterattack, which produced a shot that skewed to the left of the goal.

Dartmouth finally broke through two minutes later, with 12 minutes left in the match when it was awarded a penalty stroke after Harvard goalie Kylie Stone interfered with a Dartmouth attack in front of the goal. Dodds placed her shot in the top right corner to put the Big Green ahead.

"We have a very good penalty-stroke team," Hines said. "But Chelsea is definitely our best. She's really consistent and puts them above the goalie's head, which makes it impossible to stop."

The Big Green defense, however, did not tighten up and make for an easy finish. Dartmouth continued the sloppy defensive play that was prevalent throughout the match, with clearances that did not cover much distance and often ended up at the feet of Harvard players.

The Crimson came close with 10 minutes left as a cross by Leigh McCoy blazed through the Dartmouth penalty area untouched. A minute later, Harvard's Carly Dickson slipped into the penalty area and made goalie Megan Vakiener '12 come up with a difficult save.

Harvard's last, and best, chance of the game came with four minutes left when a Crimson player was tripped in the penalty area on a diving play by Katherine Cobb '12, resulting in a penalty corner. The Dartmouth defense, however, was able to successfully clear the ball on the set play.

"It was unfortunate that they got a penalty corner out of that, but we were able to defend it well," Hines said. "It was definitely a key stop."

The shoddy defense will likely be a point that head coach Amy Fowler will address during practice. Clearing the ball was something that the Big Green struggled to do all game.

"I think to Harvard's credit they wanted the game, too, and played hard at the end," McCormick said. "There were some breakdowns. We needed to play smart, and we were a bit frantic, but overall we did a good job holding them off."

The loss to Wake Forest was the Big Green's 10th of the season and may have slowed some of the momentum gained from the win against Harvard, but Dartmouth still remains in third place in the Ivy League standings.

"Our record doesn't show [our success], but we have a lot of building to do in the next few years," Hines said. "I think everyone's really dedicated to the program."

With one match left in the regular season, the Big Green will end the season with a winning Ivy record, a year after finishing last in the league.

Reviewing the statistics, Hines pointed out that progress is clearly evident in the team's performance throughout the season.

The Big Green looks to finish with a flourish next weekend against Cornell, currently ranked second in Ivies behind Princeton.

With a victory in Ithaca, the Big Green will be tied for second place.

Hines expressed her optimism in finishing a solid season with emphasis and an unwavering attitude.

"We're really excited about our last game against Cornell," Hines said. "We match up really well against them, and if we win we will finish in second in the Ivy League, which is a huge improvement from last year."

The Big Green travels to Ithaca, NY, on Sunday to square off against Cornell for its final match of the regular season at 12 p.m.