Lacrosse captain Plumb '12 named Ivy Player of the Year
Those around the team were not surprised that Plumb earned Ivy League honors after an impressive season. She led the Big Green with 11 assists, 33 goals, 44 points, 71 draw controls and 15 caused turnovers.
"It's very cool, and I'm very proud of everything that I've been able to accomplish," Plumb said. "More importantly, I'm proud of what our team has accomplished. Winning the Ivy League title is something that no other Dartmouth team has been able to do. This is something that we have been striving for since day one, so it's so great to have been able to accomplish our goal."
Plumb became the second consecutive Big Green women's lacrosse player to win Ivy League Player of the Year, with Kat Collins '11 earning the prestigious title last year.
"I think it's a really strong testament to this program," Plumb said. "We strive to be the best we can be, and to have that kind of representation in such a short period of time is really amazing. I think it really shows the depth and the strength of this program, and that we're a team that is going to keep getting better."
The senior midfielder led the Ivy League in draw controls per game, which was good for seventh in the nation. This year, Plumb was a force to be reckoned with on offense, scoring at least three goals in six separate appearances and at least five points in four other contests. The team captain has never been one to shrink under pressure, leading the league in game-winning goals, two of which came against ranked opponents No. 4 Duke University and No. 7 Penn.
Plumb's accomplishments will go down in the Big Green history books. This season alone, the senior set Dartmouth single-game, single-season and career records for draw controls with nine, 71 and 145, respectively. Plumb's single-season and career totals are also Ivy League records.
"Although her many accolades are defined by her success on the draw, that is far from the extent to which Sarah does for our team," teammate Kirsten Goldberg '12 said. "[Plumb] is a calming voice in huddles, she fights to get every ground ball and she pushes herself to exhaustion in each and every game. I am proud to be her teammate and to step on the field with her every day."
Plumb has been a leader for the Big Green for the past four years. As a freshman, the midfielder started 12 games before being sidelined with an injury. As a sophomore, Plumb was one of just five players on the team to start all 16 games. After her sophomore season, she was selected for the All-Ivy Second Team, the All-Ivy Tournament Team and the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association All-North Second Team. As a junior, Plumb started all but one game, earned first team All-Ivy honors and was named to the All-Ivy Tournament Team.
"I have no idea what I would do without Sarah on the field with me," Goldberg said. "We pump each other up when one of us is struggling, we rally behind each other when we need to step up our game and we set each other up for success all over the field. Sarah is a force to be reckoned with, and she never gives up."
This past weekend, Plumb led the team to its first Ivy League Tournament win since the inception of the new playoff format in the 2009-2010 season. The Big Green defeated Cornell University in the semifinal game before taking down first-seed Penn in the final.
Plumb is consistently humble and always attributes her achievements to her teammates.
"While I'm happy about my personal accomplishments, I know that I could not have done any of this without my team," she said. "I love my teammates and I'm so proud of the legacy that we have built together."
Goldberg said that Plumb's modesty is an indication of her team-player attitude.
"[Head coach] Amy [Patton] always tells us that any award that an individual on the team receives is a team award, so it does not surprise me that [Plumb] took on that same sentiment," she said. "That being said, Sarah is a selfless teammate and understands that without the rest of the team behind her, she would not have the resilience and work ethic that it takes to be one of the best players in the country."
On top of being awarded the Ivy League Player of the Year, Plumb has also earned a nomination for the Tewaaraton Award, given to the most valuable collegiate lacrosse player in the nation. Plumb is one of 25 players in the country nominated this year.
"It's a really huge honor," Plumb said. "I've known a couple of people who have come through this program who've been nominated, and I always looked up to them, so it's cool to be in this position now. More importantly, this is a huge honor for our program and for my team you aren't anything without your team."
After such a big week, Plumb and the rest of the Dartmouth women's lacrosse team will be back in action this weekend, taking on Syracuse University in the NCAA Tournament. The Big Green suffered its worst loss of the season to Syracuse on April 9, when the team lost, 22-4, in the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.
"We're really excited about this weekend," Plumb said. "We're taking it one game at a time because that's all we're guaranteed. We're excited to be taking on Syracuse again, and hopefully we'll have a couple more wins and get to that Final Four weekend."
