The Big Green was aggressive from the start, capitalizing on a scoring opportunity four minutes in. With an assist from co-captain Virginia Peisch '11, Kelly Hood '12 put in a back corner goal. Hood is the Big Green's leading scorer with 15 goals on the season.
"After Kelly scored so early on, it definitely set the tone for the game and gave us a ton of momentum and confidence," co-captain Claire Byrne '11 said. "We felt the game was in our hands at that point."
Coach Amy Fowler said she was pleased with the team's response early in the game, especially coming off the team's loss to the University of Maine, 6-1, on Sunday. Byrne said the game against Maine did not accurately represent Dartmouth's abilities as a team.
"Going into our game against New Hampshire, we wanted to start off with a bang and come out aggressively," Byrne said.
The Big Green held UNH scoreless through the first 18 minutes, maintaining an aggressive defense throughout the full 70 minutes.
"Our ability to hold onto our early lead for a big chunk of time was really helpful in terms of our kids' confidences that this game was theirs for the taking," Fowler said. "We felt that we were very much in the game against Maine. If we had been able to play a high-pressure game the entire 70 minutes, it would have been a much tighter battle."
UNH broke through in the 19th minute with a corner goal.
The Big Green responded immediately, taking the lead in less than five minutes with a goal from Kerry Bracco '11. The Wildcats struck back with two goals and took the lead 3-2 going into the second half.
Fowler said she believes that the team's work in practice between the two games was the reason they were able to come out strong in the second half.
"On Sunday, we played poorly in terms of tackling," she said. "In our one full day of practice before Wednesday, we focused on individual defense. Issues on the press caused some trouble for us previously, but after reviewing footage and working hard in practice, I think our kids rose to the challenge."
After maintaining control for a majority of the first half, the Big Green felt confident that they could recapture the lead, Fowler said. Dartmouth led the first half in shots 13-10.
Three minutes into the second half, Liz Blanken '13 scored her second goal of the season on a penalty shot, tying the game 3-3. Blanken's goal was the first penalty shot of the season and gave the team the shot of adrenaline it needed, Fowler said.
"Liz Blanken's penalty shot was huge for us," Fowler said. "We fed off the maturity of our team to keep battling an evenly matched team until the final minute."
For the rest of the game, the players worked together as a unit to lockdown on UNH's scoring opportunities. Goalkeeper Meagan Vakiener '12 had a shut-out in the second half, recording a season-high seven saves.
Byrne said having a strong presence in the goal is important for the team.
"Meagan Vakiener is one of the strongest goalies in the country," Byrne said. "Her agility and intelligence are a huge asset for our team. She's been working on her communication all season and each game we hear her more and more and she has been incredibly reliable for us."
In the 45th minute, Hood sealed the win with her second goal of the game and 15th of the season. Hood attributed the win against UNH to the entire team.
"Everyone supported each other all over the field today," she said. "Meagan came up with some huge saves and we were able to capitalize on opportunities and put the ball in the net. Our teammates from the sidelines kept us motivated and focused and that's the reason we were able to be successful."
Fowler said the team has been working hard to play consistently through an entire game and that this was a team victory.
"I think this was our best full game as a team," Fowler said. "From the way our starters began and onto the way the substitutions stepped up when they were called upon."
The Big Green will face Boston University in Boston, Mass., on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. and the University of Massachusetts at home on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.
Hood said that after the team's hard-fought win against UNH, they are up to the challenge.
"We're excited for an opportunity to prove to everyone that we have the ability compete against top teams and be successful," she said.
