The Big Green (10-3, 5-2 Ivy) had a chance to win the game late in regulation, but impressive goal-keeping by Princeton's Erin Tochihara kept the Tigers in the game. Tochihara stopped two crucial shots in the final 30 seconds of regulation play, both of which would have given Dartmouth the win. She added three more saves in overtime, finishing the game with a total of 14 saves.
The game held at Princeton was a tale of two halves, as Dartmouth established its offense early en route to a 7-3 first half lead.
Greta Meyer '11 opened the scoring for the Big Green at 28:17 to take an early advantage. After a Princeton goal, Sarah Parks '12 found the back of the net to regain the lead and take a 2-1 advantage.
Julie Wadland '10 also saved three of Princeton's first four shots on goal, helping to preserve the lead, which grew when Hillary Smith '12 added another goal.
After a tally from Princeton's Lizzy Drumm, Smith scored three unanswered goals while Erin Massimi '12 scored an additional goal, extending Dartmouth's lead to 6-2.
Princeton's Barb Previ stopped the Dartmouth scoring run with a goal at 8:13 to pull back within three goals, but a subsequent goal from Meyer with 30 seconds remaining in the half gave Dartmouth a four-goal lead heading into the second half.
"We executed well in the first half," Wadland said. "We definitely controlled the tempo more than we have in the past few games."
Princeton came into in the second half with renewed vigor and began to chip away at Dartmouth's lead. Rehfuss and Cassie Pyle scored two goals to open the half for Princeton, cutting the Big Green's advantage to 7-5.
After Dartmouth took a time-out to refocus, Hana Bowers '13 tallied a free position score, increasing the lead to 8-5, but Princeton's Drumm replied immediately with a score of her own.
An impressive play by Shannon MacKenzie '11 in the backfield led to Dartmouth's ninth goal when Kirsten Goldberg '12 assisted Meyer's third score of the day.
With 13:22 left to play, the Tigers buckled down. The pressure proved to be too much for the Big Green, as Princeton scored three unanswered goals over a six minute span, tying the game at nine each.
"We folded," Wadland said. "Once they started coming back, our fundamentals broke down,"
Although Parks fed Goldberg for a goal to take a 10-9 lead at 2:26, Dartmouth could not hold on to finish out the win. With only 50 seconds left in regulation, Previ capitalized on a Big Green turnover to tie the game once more.
Dartmouth won the ensuing draw control and had a good chance to win the game in the final seconds, but goalie Tochihara stopped a free position by Dana Brisbane '12 and a shot by Olsen in the final seconds of the game, forcing overtime. Parks opened the extra frame with a goal, but had it called back for an illegal stick.
Tochihara looked like a brick wall, impenetrable to Dartmouth's shots. She converted a save at 1:29 to Princeton possession, off of which Rehfuss managed four shots.
Her final one, in the very last second of overtime, found its way past Wadland, giving her team the win.
Dartmouth finished the game with a 25-18 advantage in turnovers, but was only able to win 11 draw controls compared to Princeton's 14. Meyer led the team in scoring, with three goals and one assist.
On defense, Colleen Olsen '10 returned from injury with fire, amassing five ground balls and a draw control, as well as two turnovers. Rehfuss led the way for Princeton with four goals.
The loss doesn't shift Dartmouth's number-two seed in the Ivy League Tournament the University of Pennsylvania has no losses and Cornell University and Princeton both have three but it could shift the Big Green down a few places in the national standings for the NCAA tournament.
Wadland, however, seemed optimistic about the implications of the loss.
"It's nothing we can't make up for," she explained.
On Friday, Dartmouth will travel to Philadelphia, Pa.,and is scheduled to face third-seeded Cornell in the Ivy League Tournament semifinals at 5 p.m.
