For the women, the game marks the second of a complete spring schedule, which includes an upcoming alumnae weekend, where former alumnae will return to the College and play a series of eight-a-side matches against current players.
The weekend will also mark 30 years of Dartmouth women's soccer.
Saturday's win over the Pioneers, a professional W-League team, came courtesy of an Aly O'Dea '12 goal, followed by two more strikes from Becky Poskin '09. Myra Sack '10 provided two of the game's assists, while Jenny Stone '10 also contributed with an assist of her own.
The women, who played their first spring game against the Wildcats on April 25, will finish the spring season facing a variety of competition, playing professional, collegiate and international teams. The team will end the off-season by hosting Montreal University on May 16.
"UNH was just about to go into finals, and they had been playing together the whole season, while most of our girls were off in the winter, so we're just getting back together," defender Thea Sutton '10 said. "It's hard to come together now, but at the same time, we've stepped up."
Saturday's game not only allowed the women to train and prepare for next year's fall season, but it also provided the opportunity for newer and younger players to adjust to the team. The Big Green is preparing to lose five of its six seniors next year. Poskin, however, will be returning due to an injury that sidelined her during her junior year. The team will say goodbye to three starters who play in defending or goalie spots.
Despite the loss of valuable players, Dartmouth showed that it could pull together a strong new team, as it earned a shutout against the Pioneers.
"Right now, we are just filling those holes that are now there, because some seniors are leaving, and we are trying to figure out where everyone is going to fit in, and we will build on from that," Sutton said.
The men's soccer team suffered a tough loss over the weekend, as UNH scored the winning goal with only 13 seconds remaining in the game. Despite a string of Dartmouth chances, UNH capitalized off a stagnant Big Green defense, and a pass splitting the defenders allowed the team's striker to fire a far-post strike into the left corner for the game's only score.
"I think we just got a little bit too casual, and we just sort of sat off a little bit, which allowed them to come back into the game," captain Craig Henderson '09 said.
The Big Green came close to scoring several times in the game, including during a free kick right outside the 18-yard box in the second half, where Dan Keat '10 bent the ball just over the net.
Dartmouth dominated for multiple intervals during the game, keeping possession for long periods of time in the box, but could never find an opportunity to score.
"The team has been progressing pretty well, but, like yesterday, we played all right and had a number of chances but we didn't finish," Henderson said.
Dartmouth ended this year's fall season as Ivy League champions and advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament before losing to No. 1 Wake Forest University. The team is hoping to recapture similar results next season, Henderson said.
"We set ourselves some high goals for next season," he said. "But it's going to be a really tough season since we're the defending Ivy champs, so everyone will be after us."
The team will have to adjust, however, to the loss of some seniors.
"We didn't lose that many seniors," Henderson, who is returning next year, said. "So it is just a matter of everyone trying to get back to the groove of playing together again."
