Dartmouth controlled the pace of play throughout the game against the overmatched Quakers (2-10, 0-3 Ivy). Dartmouth's consistent defensive effort and great finishing ability propelled the Big Green past Penn.
The Big Green came out of the gate firing on all cylinders, scoring less than seven minutes into the contest. Patrick Murray '14 broke free in the penalty area and rose to meet a cross by Brian Joseff '14, powering it past Quakers goalkeeper Max Kurtzman to give Dartmouth a 1-0 lead.
"They were defensively taking shape at the top of the circle," Murray said. "I got some space to go toward the goal, and Brian Joseff just played a great ball."
Throughout the first half, Dartmouth kept the pressure on by refusing to allow Penn to set up its offense in the Big Green's end. Dartmouth held formation and did not allow the Quakers to get a shot on goal until the 20th minute. The defense played remarkably well, especially considering the absence of captain Teo Larsson Sax '13 due to injury.
"With Teo out due to injury, Justin Rosner ['14] stepped in and really did an amazing job," head coach Jeff Cook said. "He's been a reserve for most of the year, but he definitely stepped up tonight."
Dartmouth's relentless attack netted another goal in the 33rd minute, as Robin Alnas '15 slid a shot past a diving Kurtzman. After a terrific corner from co-captain Kevin Dzierzawski '13, Alnas controlled the ball and calmly finished the job.
"I took a shot toward goal, and it seemed like it bounced off of somebody before heading in," Alnas said. "It doesn't matter who ended up finishing the deal, as long as it's another goal for Dartmouth."
As the first half came to a close, some holes began to appear in Dartmouth's previously stout defense. The Quakers began making forays into the Big Green's defensive zone along the right side of the field, led by junior forward Stephen Baker and senior midfielder Travis Cantrell. Dartmouth keeper Noah Cohen '14 made a terrific save in the 36th minute, but in the 43rd, Cantrell pulled one back for the Quakers, scoring on a beautiful shot in the upper right corner of the net.
"They scored coming on a counterattack off of our free kick," Cook said. "It just goes to show that sometimes when you have possession, you're at your most vulnerable."
Despite the late effort by the Quakers, Dartmouth still went into the half with a 2-1 lead. Penn led in shots with eight to the Big Green's seven, but Dartmouth had many more scoring opportunities. Penn's shots nearly all came from Cantrell and Baker, while the Big Green had seven shots from seven different players.
The second half proved more evenly matched, as Penn began to find ways to produce attacks on Dartmouth's goal. The back line of the defense banded together with Cohen, however, and turned away every attempt on goal.
"Our defense has been great all year," Murray said. "They did a great job of keeping compact and really carrying us to the win."
As the second half progressed, Dartmouth got back into its rhythm from the first half, putting the pressure back on Penn. Alex Adelabu '15 consistently sliced through the Quakers' defense, both on the receiving end of long passes into the zone and by dribbling his way through.
In the 76th minute, Adelabu received a long pass and out-muscled his defender, sending the ball toward the net. It bounced free to Andoni Georgiou '14, who calmly netted it to provide the final margin of victory.
Dartmouth's win was its second Ivy League victory this season and its seventh consecutive Ivy home win, a streak that began after a loss to Penn at Burnham Field in October 2010.
"This win made it four good performances by our guys in a row," Cook said. "Our confidence is growing, and we're playing really focused out there."
As the game wound to a close, Penn played a much more aggressive style but still could not find a way to narrow the deficit.
Overall, Penn generated 17 shots to Dartmouth's 16, but Cohen held his own for the Big Green with a season-high eight saves. The Big Green consistently showed better finishing ability and more composure around the net than did the Quakers. Dartmouth takes the pitch again on Saturday when the team travels to New York City to take on Columbia University.
