Field Hockey
After a third-place finish in the Ivy League last season, the Dartmouth field hockey team will be working to fill two key gaps left by Kristen McCormick '09 and Ashley Hines '09, according to head coach Amy Fowler.
Despite fielding a generally young team, the team remains solid with nine of 11 starting players from last year's team returning, Fowler said. Younger players will likely be cycled through the defensive position left vacant by McCormick to find the best fit, while players Claire Byrne '11 and Virginia Peisch '11 are in line to compete for Hines' spot midfield.
Fowler noted that a few first-year players usually make their way into competitive play due to injuries but added that this is a normal occurrence each season. Fowler also said, the team's incoming class is strong in its fundamentals.
Golf
Last year, Dartmouth men's golf finished third in the Ivy League men's Golf Championship, and Peter Williamson '12 won the individual Ivy League Championship.
The team had a rocky start to its 2008 season as it struggled to find players that could fill the roles the team demanded, head coach Rich Parker said, but hit its stride in time for the Ivy Championship. Williamson and Davis Mullany '11 will be returning to lead the team for 2009.
Two promising first-year players will also be joining the team in the fall. James Pleat '13, a former New Hampshire state golf champion, and Owen Lynch '13, a player from Rhode Island, will be promising rookie competitors, according to Parker, who said he expects a good showing from the team during the fall season.
Sailing
The 2009 women's sailing team will enter competition with a large contingent of experienced seniors to guide the team, according to head coach John Pearce.
The nationally competitive team, which ended last year with an eighth-place finish at the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association Women's Nationals, lost two of its starting sailors, Kendall Reiley '09 and Sarah Johnston '09. Several seniors are prepared to step into their positions, Pearce said, in particular Rebecca Dellenbaugh '10, who was also a starting skipper last season.
Despite the number of experienced sailors, first-year recruits will also have to step up to fill in the team's ranks, Pearce said.
The men's and women's team will be developing mostly sophomore and junior sailors during the 2009 season, Pearce said. Team members have taken their off time since last season to train in both the United States and abroad, Pearce said.
Men's Soccer
The Dartmouth men's soccer team goes into this reason ranked 10th in the nation by College Soccer News following a successful 2008 season that saw the Big Green reach the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
Although Coach Jeff Cook said he was disappointed by the outcome of the team's playoff effort, he believes the performance has provided team members with the motivation to match and improve on last year's performance.
The team has retained most of its starting players, although it lost goalkeeper Sean Milligan '09, Cook said. Daniel Keat '10, who missed the 2008 season due to injury, will bring added experience to the team, Cook noted.
Keat started in seven of the 11 games he played in during the 2007 season, garnering two goals and two assists for the team.
The class of first-year players also looks to be competitive, Cook said. He added that eight first-year players have joined the team in preseason practice, and that some of the players are in contention for playing time.
Volleyball
Dartmouth volleyball is working to move on from a problematic 2008 season that included multiple injuries, the loss of five starting players and a sixth place finish in the Ivy League, head coach Ann Marie Larese said.
The team will be reliant on its younger players, including a sophomore class that had significant playing time as rookies, she said. The two senior captains, Megan MacGregor '10 and Morgan Covington '10, have the benefit of experience during the team's boom and bust periods and will anchor the team, Larese said.
Larese said she expects a challenge during the team's preseason matches, which include a bout against North Carolina State University and a variety of teams at the Dartmouth Invitational.
Women's Cross Country
Four of the starting seven runners for the women's cross country team will be returning for the 2009 season, according to a release from head coach Maribel Souther.
Although a number of experienced team members will be competing in the upcoming season, the team will also acquire six first-year runners for its roster, according to Dartmouth Athletics' web site.
Ali Smrcina '10 and Monica Hernandez '10 will be leading the 2009 team.
Representatives from the women's soccer team and men's cross country team could not be reached by press time.
