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The Dartmouth
July 27, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Women's soccer takes key Ivy victory over Columbia

10.26.09.sports.wsoccer
10.26.09.sports.wsoccer

Although neither team held an advantage for the first few minutes of play, both sides had early scoring opportunities. Dartmouth's (8-6-0. 3-2-0 Ivy) first chance came when Aly O'Dea '12 nearly ran down a loose ball in front of the Columbia (6-6-3, 2-2-1 Ivy) net, but Lions netminder Lillian Klein fell on it before any damage could be done.

Columbia's best chance came in the 11th minute, when the Lions were awarded a free kick just outside the box, but the Big Green was able to clear the attempt.

After this initial back-and-forth, Dartmouth established itself on Columbia's side of the field, repeatedly bombarding the Lions' defense. In the 17th minute, O'Dea lofted the ball in front of the net toward Becky Poskin '09, but a Columbia defender was able to get her head on it. Just two minutes later, the Big Green was again on the attack, with Poskin launching a shot from the right corner that Klein tipped over the crossbar.

Dartmouth continued to apply pressure, and in the 40th minute Thea Sutton '10 scored a goal to put the Big Green up 1-0. The assist came from Kelsey Quick '10, whose corner kick bounced off of multiple Columbia defenders in the box and landed in from of Sutton.

It was Sutton's first collegiate goal.

"I didn't expect for it to happen," Sutton said. "It was really cool."

Despite the setback, the Lions refused to go quietly. Just one minute later, Columbia was awarded a free kick directly in front of the Dartmouth net, but the ball was caught by Big Green keeper Colleen Hogan '12 after deflecting off of Myra Sack '10.

At the end of the first half, Dartmouth held a 1-0 advantage, but Columbia was no pushover, registering more shots on goal and playing with intensity.

As the second half opened, the Lions once again showed their claws, breaking through the Big Green's defenses, but the back line held its ground.

The high-intensity game reached another level in the 66th minute, when Columbia junior Chrissy Butler threw a punch at Erin Fleischli '12. Although this offense is normally an automatic red card, the referee said that both players were involved in the altercation and awarded both yellow cards.

"Columbia is always very physical," head coach Angela Hind said. "We challenged our kids to be as physical as they are, and I think we did a good job at that. I'm really pleased with the way we matched them."

Dartmouth secured the victory in the 70th minute, when O'Dea scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season. O'Dea headed Melisa Krnjaic '11's corner kick past Klein in the net, putting Dartmouth up 2-0.

Despite numerous attempts by the Lions to fight their way back into the game, the Big Green held the score until the final whistle.

It was an important win for Dartmouth, as the team still hopes to contend for the Ivy League championship. Its chances were helped by Harvard's 1-0 loss to Princeton on Saturday.

"Everyone in the league has lost a game now," Hind said. "If we beat Harvard, all we need is someone to beat Yale and we're up there."

The Big Green will next take on the Crimson (7-6-1, 4-1 Ivy) in a crucial match at 11 a.m., on Saturday in Cambridge, Mass.

"We're right back in the mix," Sutton said. "We just have to keep it up."