Dartmouth (11-5-1, 5-1-1 Ivy) will have a first-round bye in the NCAA tournament. The team will have to wait until next Tuesday to face the winner of tonight's tournament match between Colgate University (12-5-3, 5-1-1 Patriot) and Boston College (10-7-2, 5-3-0 ACC), which will be played in Hanover.
Head coach Jeff Cook admitted that he had been secretly hoping for a bye but expected to receive homefield advantage.
"We were delighted with the news," Cook said. "We see it as a good reward for an excellent season. It's an advantage to have recovered, to be rested and playing at home in the second round of the tournament. You can't ask for more than that."
The Big Green is the highest-seeded team from the Ivy League in the tournament, though the University of Pennsylvania (11=2-4, 5-1-1 Ivy) earned the league's automatic entry into the tournament due to its victory over Dartmouth in the regular season. Both Penn and Harvard (11-5-0, 5-2-0 Ivy)will travel to face opponents in the first round.
Wake Forest University (18-1-1, 7-0-1 ACC) is the top overall seed and will likely face the Big Green in the third round, should the Big Green advance.
Dartmouth also grabbed the Ivy League's two highest individual honors by unanimous votes. Captain Craig Henderson '09 was named Ivy League Player of the Year, and freshman forward Lucky Mkosana '12 was voted Ivy League Rookie of the Year.
"I really haven't had a chance to think about it much yet," Henderson admitted. "It's really a reflection of how well the team did. We're still preparing for a game on Tuesday, so I haven't had a chance to really appreciate it. But it's definitely a great honor."
Henderson's selection is the first time Dartmouth has taken home the Ivy League's top honor since 1992, the third time overall. Mkosana's choice was not a surprise, as the rookie led the Ivy League with 24 points and 11 goals. Both players were also first team All-Ivy selections, along with goalkeeper and captain Sean Milligan '09.
With regard to its potential Tuesday opponent, the Big Green is not sure what to expect.
"We don't really have a preference to face one team or the other," Milligan said. "At this point in the season, whoever you play, it's going to be tough."
The Big Green took home a 1-0 victory over Colgate on Sept. 14 in Hanover but did not face Boston College this season.
"[Colgate] had a great season so far, and I expect it to be a very even game between them and Boston College," Cook said. "Since September, I'm sure they've changed as a team, and I know we have."
Boston College and Colgate square off on Friday at Boston College. The Dartmouth coaching staff plans to drive down to attend the game in an effort to prepare. Until then, the Big Green hopes to take advantage of the chance to recover.
Dartmouth is riding a wave of momentum into the tournament. After losing back-to-back games against the University of Connecticut and Penn in mid-October, the Big Green rallied to win its last five games and earn a share of the Ivy League title.
"We're playing well right now and are excited to be playing at home," Milligan said. "We're 8-1 at home and can stack up against any team we play, so we're really confident. And we can still play better."
Despite its success so far this season, the team made clear that it is not content with what it has accomplished. While the immediate goal is to win its next game, the team has set its standards high.
"We're proud of our success in the league, but our next step is to advance in the tournament," Cook said. "That has to be a challenge that's laid down to all of us as a program."
"This season is about winning games in the tournament," Cook added. "We need to get ourselves into the mindset that -- with the parity in college soccer -- we can win this tournament. If we win three games now, we're in the final four, and any of those four teams can win."
The NCAA Tournament features the top 48 teams in the country, with the top 16 teams receiving first-round byes. The tournament culminates with the 2008 College Cup at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas on December 12 and 14.
College President James Wright has offered to sponsor student tickets to the tournament games to ensure that the Big Green will have plenty of support. Both the captains and the coaches stressed the difference a Dartmouth crowd can make and said they hope the students will stay to provide the support that the team has enjoyed this season.
