The men's lacrosse team needed a win against the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday Senior Day to stay in the chase for the final bid to the Ivy League tournament. It got one, 15-11.
The best performance did not come from a senior, however, as Rhett Miller '11 turned in six goals and an assist.
"I wish I could say I was surprised to see this from Rhett, but I can't," head coach Andy Towers said. "That's why we recruited him. We think he is one of the best players in the country."
Dartmouth (5-6, 2-3 Ivy) struck first with a goal from Josh Etzion '11 in a man-up situation two minutes into the game, but Penn (5-8, 1-5 Ivy) quickly came back with its own man-up goal.
The Big Green and the Quakers traded scores again before Miller scored three consecutive goals to make the score 5-2.
Still, Penn remained in the contest, cutting the lead to one before the Big Green went on another run to bring the score to 8-5 going into halftime.
After the break, co-captain Ari Sussman '10 scored to give Dartmouth its biggest lead of the game at 9-5, but staying true to form Penn rallied to within one.
The fourth quarter, however, was all Big Green. With the score 11-10 going into the quarter, the Big Green scored four goals to seal the victory.
Towers said that the energy that Dartmouth displayed was the determining factor in the back and forth game.
"This is the best effort of the season so far," he said. "I hope we can replicate and build on it."
Miller led the Big Green in points and goals, but many of his teammates also contributed to the victory. Sussman turned in one goal and five assists, while Etzion had three goals and an assist. Fergus Campbell '12 posted 16 saves the second most he has had all season.
Towers said that he believes Campbell is the best goalie in the Ivy League and one of the best goalies in the country.
Coming off of the win, Dartmouth is in a precarious position to make the Ivy League tournament.
Due to Harvard University's upset of Princeton University on Saturday, the Big Green still does not control its own destiny, but a Brown University defeat of Cornell helped Dartmouth's cause.
If the Big Green beats Brown (No. 20) next Saturday and Princeton beats Cornell or Yale beats Harvard, Dartmouth will make the Ivy League tournament, giving it an opportunity to receive a bid to the NCAA tournament.
Co-captain Andy Gagel '10 said that while he thinks that if the Big Green win they will qualify for the tournament, all the team can do is hope for help from the other teams' outcomes.
Assistant coach Jon Torpey said he believes the team's recent intensity stems from the fact that it has realized what is at stake in making the Ivy League tournament and does not want its season to end.
Up to this point in the season, Dartmouth has been a story of two teams.
The squad opened up strong against Colgate University, but then had 20 turnovers in a loss to the College of Holy Cross the following game. In a complete turnaround, the Big Green promptly rebounded and had nine players score in an 18-9 victory over Wagner College.
From there, Dartmouth went to North Carolina to face two top-rated teams in No. 3 North Carolina and then-No. 7 Duke. The Big Green was outscored 30-9 in the two games.
After the trip, Campbell emerged as the new starting goalie he now boasts an Ivy League leading .595 save percentage as of Saturday and proved to give the team some much needed energy.
Gagel said that Campbell gives the defense and the rest of the team a consistent confidence.
"You know if you make a mistake or something happens, he will be back there to make the save and bail you out," he said. "Fergus gives us a little room to be more aggressive, as you know he will make the saves he is supposed to make and will save some he shouldn't."
Harvard gave Dartmouth its most disappointing loss of the season, as the Big Green had a six-goal lead in the third quarter and ended up losing, 13-11.
Still, true to the intense, relentless style that Towers preaches, Dartmouth soon forgot its previous three losses and upset No. 8 Cornell University fifth in the country at the time in an 8-6 victory.
Campbell came away from the game with a season-high 23 saves, and Sussman led the team with four unassisted goals.
The team did not want to focus on the victory, however, and instead turned its sights on its upcoming Ivy foes.
"Cornell was a good win, but we don't want that to be the highlight of season," Gagel said.
However, the Cornell game proved not to be a turning point as Dartmouth lost its next two games to Yale and Princeton by a combined score of 24-5. They were the only two games in which Dartmouth failed to score in the first half, and the losses put the Big Green's Ivy tournament hopes in serious jeopardy.
An 18-13 victory against the University of Vermont got Dartmouth back on track and ready for its showdown with Penn. It also ended the Big Green's stretch of six games against ranked opponents. Sussman had seven points in the game and Chris Costabile '13 added five goals.
True to form, the Big Green went from scoring five goals in two games to 33 in the same span.
"I think Coach Towers has done an unbelievable job with the offense this past week," Torpey said. "We are now dodging to score."
Towers said that the coaches challenged the players after the two disappointing losses, and they responded.
This is the first season for Towers as head coach and Torpey as an assistant coach, and players have responded positively to their message.
Co-captain Towny Swiggett '10 said that the coaches have been a huge help this season.
"They have made sure that we have continued to progress throughout the season, as opposed to other seasons," Swiggett said. "They do a good job keeping us even keeled."
For their part, Torpey said the seniors have been a crucial part of the team and its success so far.
"The senior class is so incredible with their leadership," he said. "I think this is the best senior class I have ever had."
Towers, who coached at Dartmouth for many years as an assistant, added that he is also proud of the way the team has developed and is especially proud of the seniors.
"We have had our highs and lows," he said. "But our seniors have been our leaders."
Dartmouth's last winning record in lacrosse came in 2006 when it went 8-7, but the team has a chance of breaking the trend this year.
"That would mean a lot," Swiggett said. "Not only for the seniors, but for everyone on the team and the coaches."
A winning record would require Dartmouth to win its final two games against Bryant University and Brown, respectively.
Gagel said that the team's sole focus right now is Bryant, a team that Torpey describes as dangerous. Gagel also added that the Bryant game is a good opportunity to prepare for the Brown game.
"It is going to give us an opportunity to polish sets on offense and schemes on defense," he said.
Towers, in his usual one-focus approach, agreed, saying that the team's remaining games could not be compared to last week's schedule a non-league game Tuesday and an important game Saturday because that would not only imply that Dartmouth is looking ahead, but that it is overlooking a good Bryant team.
"One practice, one game," he said. "Our goal continues to be to eliminate regret."
Dartmouth will face Bryant in Smithfield, R.I., on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
