The win was the first in the League for the Big Green (3-7-0, 1-1-0 Ivy), and also snapped a three-game losing streak. O'Dea's goal was Dartmouth's fifth of the season.
Head coach Theresa Wagner said she was pleased with the win, calling it "a huge turning point for us."
"It feels great," she said. "We've had to fight through a lot of adversity this year and a lot of different people have had to step up due to a number of injuries."
In front of a full crowd at Burnham Field, the two teams played evenly in the first half. The Tigers (1-7-1, 0-2-0 Ivy) outshot Dartmouth, 4-3, but squandered a huge opportunity when freshman forward Lauren Lazo missed just right of the net on a breakaway 33 minutes into the game.
Dartmouth could not capitalize on seven Princeton fouls in the first half, despite several good chances.
Chrissy Lozier '14 threatened junior goalie Kristin Watson with two shots, while Marina Moschitto '14 came close to her second goal of the season, slicing through the middle of the Tigers defense midway through the period. The Big Green had two chances from headers on long passes from Lozier one that found O'Dea and another that reached Ally Dutton '12.
Princeton dominated possession of the ball in the second half, outshooting the Big Green, 10-1. Lazo blasted the Dartmouth goal with five shots, while junior Caitlin Blosser, senior Sara Chehrehsa and sophomore Gabriella Guzman came close to scoring.
Dartmouth goalie Colleen Hogan '12 played exceptionally, however, and Dartmouth managed to remain in the game despite its lack of scoring chances. Hogan, who started her third game of the season, said she kept her composure and focus.
"They definitely put us under some pressure but I just knew if I could keep us in it and not let a goal in, we would find a way to score in the end," she said. "We had a really good feeling going into the game so I just wanted to keep us in it."
Hogan said Dartmouth's defense helped the team stay with Princeton the whole game, as it provided numerous tackles and two team saves in the second half. Wagner said the Big Green "dodged a couple bullets" in the second half.
"I'd probably attribute that to the fact that we're not making as many substitutions as we were early on in the season so we're asking our starting group to play more, a lot of times 90 minutes," Wagner said. "So I think there was a little spell where they got a little tired."
The Big Green finally got its break in the 88th minute, when a kick from Lozier placed the ball in the center of the Princeton box. With the Tigers' defenders unable to rid the ball from their zone, O'Dea gained control of it and found herself open, delivering a blast to the back of the net.
The goal was her first of the season and came on Lozier's first assist. Although O'Dea said she would have liked to score earlier in the season, she said she was happy that the goal came at such a crucial moment.
"It's definitely been a frustrating season for me," O'Dea said. "As a forward, I've been really close a lot and it hasn't come. So today I was just trying to stay mentally focused the whole game, keeping up the energy and momentum and playing to the very last second. I'm glad I could stay composed in front of the goal and in the box. I'm so happy."
O'Dea said she believes the win was important, and will help Dartmouth gain respect within the League.
"They're one of our biggest rivals, and beating them is exciting," she said. "Regardless of what has happened previously, making our presence known in the Ivy League was huge."
The Big Green plays next against Yale University on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
