Sam Anderson '14 proved to be a true stand out in the game, scoring twice in a seven-minute stretch to spur the Big Green to a 3-0 lead. It was familiar territory for Anderson, who also scored the final goal of last season's 3-1 win over Providence.
Anderson's first goal of the game came as a deflection off of an assist from Janine Leger '15, who sent in a cross from the right side of the field. After Ali Savage '15 doubled the Big Green lead in the 17th minute, a long pass from co-captain Lisa Masini '13 gave Anderson her second chance to score, as she touched the ball into the net.
"An important part of our success was that everyone played well, and we were very connected on the field," Maggie Scanlon '14 said.
The Big Green was the more aggressive team throughout the game, out-shooting the Friars 16-4 overall.
"We were extremely connected in our passing all over the field, and the pressure we applied on Providence really thwarted any confidence they could have," co-captain Maya Herm '13 said. "We took it to them and never let up."
Savage's goal marked the second consecutive game in which she has tallied the game-winning score for Dartmouth after she scored the first goal in a 2-0 win over the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday.
"We had a lot of support from the whole team through the first half, which is why we were able to score the three goals in such a short amount of time," Dartmouth head coach Amy Fowler said. "This was our best performance of the year in terms of minimizing runs when things were not going our way."
Providence tried to fight back and was able to score one goal from Caitlin Malone in the beginning of the second half. Malone's goal was an unassisted after dribbling toward goal from the middle of the field.
"[Providence] did a good job trying to come back, but we did really well defensively," Fowler said.
After the Big Green's outburst within the first 20 minutes, there was no chance for the Friars to stage a comeback as the Big Green continued to control the game.
"Our biggest strategy was focusing on being able to put together quality play for 70 minutes and not giving up too much during any lull," Fowler said.
Dartmouth's five-game win streak marks the fourth season in a row in which the team has tallied a win streak of at least four games.
"We're on a winning streak right now, and we can continue to improve all aspects of our game," Scanlon said.
Continuing its winning streak will prove challenging for the Big Green as the team will face the No. 2 University of North Carolina in Newton, Mass., on Sunday.
"We have a big boost of confidence going into the weekend," Fowler said. "We have already played top-ranked teams three times so far this season, and any win helps you prepare for North Carolina. We have nothing to lose and are going to play hard and try to scare them a little bit."
Dartmouth lost to the then-No. 3 University of Maryland, 6-0, on Sept. 9 and followed that game up with a 4-1 loss to then-No. 2 Princeton University on Sept. 15. Both games were played on the road, while Sunday's game against North Carolina (12-1, 2-0 ACC) will be played at the neutral site of Boston College's Newton Campus Turf Field.
"They are a talented team as their record proves, but so are we," Herm said. "We go into every game expecting to win, and we can't wait to get a chance to take on the Tar Heels."
