The scoreboard was blank at halftime, with the teams nearly matched as Dartmouth had six shots and New Mexico five. In the 73rd minute in the second half, one of New Mexico's players was badly hurt and the game was paused for more than 20 minutes.
Following the delay, defender Bryan Giudicelli '11 knocked a header in to score the game-winning goal in the 81st minute and defeat New Mexico.
Despite the packed house, the team was shy of the previous home field attendance record. The Big Green set the last record on November 14, 2008 in a televised game against Brown University when 2,114 fans made Dartmouth history.
"It makes a huge difference to the players," head coach Jeff Cook said. "They really appreciate the support."
In the past three seasons, Dartmouth has led the Ivy League in attendance at men's soccer matches with an average of 1,000 fans per game.
The men started their season with a 4-1 win over Holy Cross on Sept. 4 and have kept a tight schedule since. The Big Green has played six season games so far and heads into its first Ivy League play this upcoming weekend.
"It has been a busy preseason, a busy month," Cook said. "We have one of the most challenging schedules in the country."
As it is every year, the team's goal is to compete for the Ivy League title and advance to the NCAA tournament, Cook said.
The women have kept an equally busy schedule, which has already included five road games.
This Sunday, the Dartmouth women triumphed in their first Ivy League play against Brown, winning 2-1.
The Big Green held only the slightest advantage throughout the game, outshooting Brown by 12 to 11. The team's defense held strong with goalkeeper Colleen Hogan '12 stopping five shots.
Aurelia Solomon '13 scored her first collegiate goal and the first goal of the game from 25 yards out to lead the Big Green into the second half. Marina Moschitto '14 notched her second game-winning goal of the season off a cross from Grace Best '13.
The Big Green remained in their home state for their fifth-straight road game to play in the Granite State Cup in Durham, N.H. The University of New Hampshire upset Dartmouth, 1-0, and broke their 18-game winless streak against the Big Green. UNH scored the game's only goal in the 34th minute, netting the first victory against its home-state rival since 1991.
"Every year it is the same ambition," head coach Angela Hind said. "To play as long as we can and for the Ivy League title."
The women will face their second Ivy League opponent, traveling to Princeton on Oct. 2 at 3:30 p.m. The men will hit the road to take on the University of Massachusetts on Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 3:00 p.m.
