Big Green soccer gave fans a reason to celebrate Homecoming this weekend, with the men winning 2-1 and the women taking a 3-2 victory over Harvard University's squads on Saturday.
The win marked the third consecutive win for the women, pushing their record to 6-7-2 (3-2-1 Ivy) and giving them a third-place tie with Columbia University in the Ivy League standings. For the men, the much-needed win ended a three-game losing streak and pushed their record to 7-6-1 (2-3 Ivy). The Big Green men are now tied for fourth place with Harvard in the League standings.
The women began their Senior Day and Homecoming match with a bang, as Chrissy Lozier '14 opened up scoring in the ninth minute. The goal marked Lozier's second goal in two Ivy League games.
Harvard quickly answered in the 12th minute with a goal of its own. Co-captain Melisa Krnjaic '11 continued the Big Green's offensive attack, scoring a go-ahead goal in the 30th minute off a high-arcing cross from midfielder Kim Rose '13.
Krnjaic and the Big Green continued to put pressure on the Crimson offensively, eventually breaking through in the 60th minute when Krnjaic scored her second goal of the game, and her fourth in the past three Ivy League games.
"[Scoring twice] was a really special feeling," Krnjaic said. "My family was there and we had a lot of Dartmouth women's soccer alumni back for Homecoming. Playing in front of such a rowdy and supportive home crowd on our Senior Day and then coming out with the win was phenomenal."
Harvard closed the deficit to 3-2 in the 79th minute after a barrage of shots and great saves from Dartmouth goalkeeper Colleen Hogan '12, but were unable to find the back of the net for the necessary equalizer late in the game.
"Scoring three goals in tonight's game was fantastic, especially two early goals on two chances," head coach Angie Hind said. "After we took the 3-1 lead though, that's when the resiliency of our team shined through. Three-one is a tough score because you know you don't need another goal to win, but you can't just hold the ball and let Harvard attack either. I think we did a good job of staying aggressive and passionate throughout the evening even after we took the lead."
Dartmouth nearly added a fourth goal in the 81st minute when a shot from Aly O'Dea '12 was just punched out by the Harvard goalkeeper. The cushion was unnecessary and Dartmouth held the lead for the victory.
The win brought the Big Green to third place in the Ivy League standings instead of fifth, which a loss would have brought. The win does not keep the possibility of an Ivy League Championship alive for the Big Green, however, as Priceton and Penn face eachother next weekend.
"I think it was a must-win for both [Dartmouth and Harvard]," Hind said. "It was a very exciting game to watch, though the soccer was inconsistent at times. Both teams needed the win, and both teams played with a desperate passion. We did everything we could to win, and I think ultimately we deserved to win."
After losing to Harvard 2-1 last year in a similarly important match, the team was able to refocus and understand the necessity of a win today, according to Hind. She added that the team echoed this sentiment throughout the week's preparation for the game.
"Last season was a similar game to this year," she said. "We did everything last year except win. A lot of the players who lost that game played in tonight's game, and through practice this week understood that another loss in that way was unacceptable. No matter what, we needed the win. And that showed in our play."
Krnjaic echoed Hind's thoughts on the importance of winning this season's game against Harvard.
"[Athletic Director] Harry Sheehy said in his speech on Friday that if you want to be happy for a lifetime, beat Harvard," Krnjaic said. "I think he might have been right."
The Big Green men's soccer team followed the women with a dramatic victory of their own, dominating Harvard statistically throughout the match and ultimately claiming the 2-1 victory.
Harvard took the lead with a goal in the 35th minute and held the 1-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, the Big Green was able to dominate possession and control the game, outshooting Harvard 16-4 and holding a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks won.
The Big Green controlled the game with crisp passing and strong defense and wore Harvard down. They were eventually able to capitalize on the offensive end, with a goal off the head of Nick Pappas '12 in the 71st minute.
Dartmouth kept up the momentum for the remainder of the game. After a bad touch from a Harvard defender in the 72nd minute, Lucky Mkosana '12 dribbled the ball from nearly 40 yards out to slot a far-post goal and give the lead to Dartmouth. Mkosana nearly scored another goal in the 79th minute, but a save from Harvard goalkeeper Austin Harms kept the leading margin to one.
Dartmouth continued to dominate possession for the remainder of the game, with no real chances coming for Harvard.
"I said to the players earlier in the week that Homecoming at Dartmouth is one of the truest and best experiences anywhere on a college campus in the world," head coach Jeff Cook said. "It's great to beat Harvard on Homecoming."
The win over the Crimson is also important for the Big Green in their pursuit of an elusive NCAA tournament berth. With Dartmouth in fourth in the Ivy League standings, an Ivy League Championship is not possible for the team. The team's postseason life is dependent upon an "at-large" berth.
"We've been pretty consistently in the top 50 in RPI, and we're in a dogfight to get into the NCAA tournament," Cook said. "We may need help from other teams around the nation, but if we take care of our business, we can only hope for the best as far as our postseason destiny. We believe that we play NCAA-caliber soccer."
The men's team will look to continue their success at home against the University of New Hampshire (7-4-5) this Tuesday. The women look to continue their three-game winning streak in their Ivy League finale against Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., on Saturday.
