Coming off of a spectacular 2008 season that included an Ivy League Championship, an NCAA tournament appearance, and a No. 16 final national ranking, the Dartmouth men's soccer team has begun its 2009 campaign without missing a beat.
The Big Green (3-0-1, 0-0 Ivy), which beat the University of Rhode Island 2-0 on Sunday to win the 2009 Hypertherm Classic, is currently ranked No. 5 nationally by Soccer America, and No. 9 by College Soccer News.
Dartmouth's defense is looking stronger than ever this year. Over the course of four games and two overtime periods, the Big Green has not allowed a goal.
"It's definitely one of the things that we emphasize as a team," said co-captain Craig Henderson '09. "Actually probably the most, the way we defend."
Anchored by a slew of defenders and two goalkeepers, Dartmouth's defensive unit hasn't broken yet actually, it has barely even bent.
"I think Dartmouth prides itself on our defense," co-captain Daniel Keat '10 said. "It's a big part of our success, even in the past. We're going to need it this year to be just as strong as we were."
The defensive domination started in the season opener on Sept. 4, as Dartmouth pummeled St. Peter's College 7-0, a match that featured goals from six different players, and one in which 21 different players saw action for the Big Green. Against Hartwick College, the Big Green took a shot advantage of 14-7, allowing it to cruise to a 1-0 win on a 45-yard free kick goal by Andrew Olsen '11.
Over 1,500 fans braved the elements to watch the Big Green's first major challenge of the season, a rain-drenched, double-overtime draw against the No. 18 University of Connecticut on Sept. 11. Dartmouth dominated shot advantage (17-7) and corner kicks (12-3), but despite several close scoring chances, the Big Green was never able to find the back of the net.
"We were a little frustrated we didn't win, because we dominated them in terms of shots," Henderson said. "It's a matter of taking responsibility in terms of taking our chances."
In the final of the Hypertherm Classic against Rhode Island, Keat, who returns this year from a season-long injury in 2008, notched his third and fourth goals of the season, good enough to secure Tournament Offensive MVP accolades.
"It's just good to be back playing again," Keat said. "I've waited a long time to be back on the field, and I've worked very hard to be back playing."
As Dartmouth looks ahead to this weekend's road trip, a two-game, five-day excursion to San Diego, Calif., to take on the University of San Diego and Loyola Maramount, the team is buoyed by the strong play of its defense, while their offense continues to take shape.
Anchored by the experience of eight returning players, the Dartmouth defense has no shortage of talent or depth. Meanwhile, goalies Lyman Missimer '11 and Sean Donovan '13 continue to rotate, both making strong showings in net.
Offensively, Keat displays few signs of rust from his year-long injury, as he leads the team in both goals , with four, and points, with eight. Although he has managed to find twine only once, Lucky Mkosana '12 has a team-leading 15 shots, a promising signal that the explosive Zimbabwean could repeat the success of his freshman campaign.
This season, the Big Green will continue to deal with rising expectations and the challenges of a more intense schedule, marked with tougher travel that includes a mid-week trip to the University of South Florida, followed by a game against rival Columbia University on Homecoming Saturday.
"There's a little more pressure on us now," Henderson said. "We have to take care of games and play games as if we're the favorite, which means keeping the ball a lot more."
Keat was optimistic about the team's prospects, even with the added expectations.
"We have pretty good confidence that we can go out against any team and beat them," he said. "First and foremost, we want to win the Ivy League again, and I think that it's within our reach if we play as we have."
After a string of away games, the Big Green will return home to Burnham Field in Hanover on Sept. 30 to take on the University of Vermont at 6 p.m.
