"I think we did our best, and that's all we can ask for," Lisa Masini '13 said. "Everyone worked really hard and gave it their all."
Co-captain Virginia Peisch '11, a midfielder for the Big Green, had to sit out this game due to a pinched nerve in the arch of her foot. Fellow midfielder Kelly Hood '12, who set the Dartmouth record last year for most points in a season with 42 points, was also missing from action due to a broken cheekbone. Starting goalie Meagan Vakiener '12 was replaced by Jenna Stearns '13.
Columbia got an early lead with a breakaway goal by Columbia sophomore forward Gabby Kozlowski. Dartmouth responded with a goal off of a corner by Maya Herm '13. Columbia scored again 48 seconds later, before adding another score to close the first half. Columbia had a slight edge of 12 shots over the Big Green's nine for the half. The Big Green saw six corners to Columbia's one.
In the second half, Masini tipped a pass off of co-captain Claire Byrne '11 into the goal towards the end of the game, but Columbia was able to score twice to take the 5-2 victory.
Overall, Columbia outshot Dartmouth 24-20, while Dartmouth had eight corners to the Lions' seven.
Byrne said that despite the missing players, the team went into the game with the right mindset.
"It wasn't an ideal situation being down three of our starters," she said. "But we always try to approach and enter each game with a positive attitude and a lot of confidence because that's only going to translate into the game and put you in a good position."
Masini said one of the team's biggest weaknesses going into the game was the players' unfamiliarity with these new positions.
"Everyone was feeling out of their comfort zone," she said. "We need to get used to the new spots for next time and overcome that adversity."
Peisch, who was able to travel with the team to Columbia, said they needed to be more consistent in their playing. Columbia was able to take advantage of several breaks in the defense to score, according to Peisch.
"We had some phases of the game during which we were dominating play," she said. "And then sometimes, unfortunately, our confidence just seemed to vanish."
After a tough 1-3 loss to Yale University last week, the team went into the Columbia game hoping to overcome some of its biggest flaws from the Yale match. Peisch said that in particular, the team focused on individual defense and doing a better job of taking advantage of corners.
Head coach Amy Fowler said she hopes that the team can do the same exercise this week in practice and concentrate on capitalizing on scoring opportunities.
"We had plenty of them, but it wasn't indicative of the score," she said. "We just played a little too much on our heels and we had some lulls."
Masini said that although the team suffered a loss, it worked very well together and had "some good passing combinations and good circle penetrations." Byrne added that the team remains strong in overall intensity, resilience and recovery in certain circumstances.
"We never really gave up on plays," she said. "We've never lost focus or decreased our effort."
Next week, the team faces a doubleheader against two more top teams. The Big Green plays Harvard University at home Oct. 30, then caps off the weekend with another home game against the University of Vermont on Sunday.
Fowler said that Dartmouth, Harvard and Vermont are evenly matched on paper, but if the team stays consistent and focused, it can pull out a win against both teams.
"[Doubleheaders] are always really challenging," Byrne said. "But after a week of preparation highlighting the things we need to work on, we'll be in a great place when we play against these teams."
Looking ahead to the remainder of the season, the women's team does not have a culminating Ivy League championship. Peisch said the team is hoping to post victories in its next three games and end the season with a winning record.
Masini said she would like to see the team play with more confidence and build up a stronger defense for the remaining games.
"Establishing ourselves as one of the top teams in the region that's something we've kept trying to do, and that's still within reach," Byrne said. "If we take care of the three opponents we have left on our schedule, we will have attained that goal."
Fowler said the team has the potential to finish the season on a high note as long as the players put their all into both in practice and games.
"We can fear to fail or dare to be great," she said. "We need to find a way to play hard for 70 minutes and that's what we're going to put our mind to this week."
