The Dartmouth field hockey team opened the season last week with a 5-1 loss against Boston University on Sept. 6, a 4-2 win against Merrimack College on Sept. 11 and a tight 1-2 loss to Sacred Heart University on Sept. 13. The team’s win over Merrimack at Chase Field in Hanover marked new head coach Jason Klinkradt’s first win at Dartmouth.
The team’s efforts began in their winter and spring off-seasons, which they spent in a “build phase” for this season, according to the team’s leadership group member Ella Bowman ’27.
“It was mostly physical stuff — getting on the pitch and pushing physical fitness over the spring,” Bowman said. “We had a few scrimmages, which was a good time for us to start building our principles and the coaching staff.”
The team’s “good physical foundation” allowed them to work on their principles and strategy during the preseason.
“It was a lot of work solidifying our identity as a team and how we were going to implement that in the season going forward,” Bowman said.
Klinkradt noted the importance of strong physical fitness to achieve his goal of having the team play with a “more upbeat tempo” and a “little more aggressively.”
“We’re the fittest we’ve been in a few years,” Klinkradt said. “It’s allowed us to play a quicker game.”
The quicker game meant that despite an early loss against the Boston University Terriers, the team quickly bounced back against Merrimack.
“After [Boston], I felt a bit disappointed — we’ve been training well and could have followed through on more opportunities,” midfielder Ally Brosie ’28 said. “We took that on our back and used it to push us through to Merrimack and led our spirit.”
Bowman started the Big Green strong against Merrimack, scoring a penalty corner nine minutes in, with an assist from Riley Dumigan ’27, after Merrimack’s foul.
According to Bowman, penalty corners are “a set piece in field hockey,” meaning it takes everyone to execute. Bowman credited the team’s effort for her goal.
“Someone puts the ball in, someone stops the ball and then I just hit it in,” Bowman said. “It was a good result of what we’d done on the training ground, and everyone was able to execute their role. It was a pretty great feeling.”
The team’s success continued the rest of the first quarter and throughout the second quarter, with Lilly Venezia ’29 and McLaine Leik ’27 scoring their first career goals, bringing up the Big Green’s lead to 3-0.
However, Merrimack put on a strong performance in the third quarter, scoring two goals within minutes of each other.
The Big Green took control of the game again during the fourth quarter. After three shot attempts, Brosie finally broke through the Warriors’ defenses and scored Dartmouth’s critical fourth goal.
“We kind of knew we had to score because we were up 3-2. If they scored, then they would have tied the game,” Brosie said.
Klinkradt praised the team’s ability to get through Merrimack’s strong performance and emphasized the hard work that went into the team’s victory.
“Credit to Merrimack, they did well,” Klinkradt said. “The [team] has been getting really hard, and it was just a reward for all the work they’ve put in.”
The team continued to put up a strong performance against Sacred Heart, outshooting their opponents 12-7 before a late goal by Sacred Heart resulted in a close 2-1 loss.
Sacred Heart scored the game’s opening goal, but the Big Green pressured Sacred Heart’s defense. Finally in the second quarter, Amelie Luessmann ’28 scored an unassisted goal and tied the game 1-1.
The pressure continued in the third quarter, with Dartmouth taking several shots. However, Sacred Heart scored their second goal, giving them the lead. While the Big Green had close chances, they were unable to score another goal.
“[The challenge] was finishing in the circle and just getting that last touch in,” Brosie said.
While the team was disappointed with the close loss, both Brosie and Klinkradt emphasized the process and effort in the months preceding the game.
“We definitely didn’t lower the expectations,” Brosie said. “I take away that we can do it and there’s nothing stopping us, and that’s what I’m taking into next weekend [against Harvard University and the University of Maine].
Klinkradt agreed, noting that the closeness of the game came down to converting losses and taking advantage of winning opportunities.
“Credit to the girls, we had enough chances to win the game and that’s all we can ask for,” Klinkradt said. “We hit the post, and that should have made it 2-1 or 2-2.”
Ahead of the matchup against No. 7 Harvard on Sept. 18, the team plans to replicate the close situations they were in against Sacred Heart and make their responses “first nature.”
Harvard currently leads Dartmouth 24-23-7 and has won the last 11 matchups between the two. The Crimson also won a preseason exhibition match last month. Klinkradt acknowledged Harvard’s strength but said he is confident in his team’s skills.
“It’s about sticking to our approach and making sure that we can be tight around our defensive quarter and [converting] on the chances we can get, because we are going to get chances,” Klinkradt said.
Bowman said the team will take the lessons of the loss against Sacred Heart to Harvard.
“[It’s] cleaning up those errors and the opportunities that we didn’t take against Sacred Heart,” Bowman said. “Looking forward to this week, we’re still building our identities, looking to expand on the work we’ve done and try to put in a strong performance against Harvard.”
For the leadership team, which consists of Bowman, Lucia Campaño ’27, Raina Johns ’27, Leik and Luessmann, the focus will be on effort, details and connection.
Klinkradt said the results from the first three matches show that the team’s improved fitness and connection can create winning opportunities during matches that will translate into a “turning point” soon.
“It’s all going to click and come together, and we believe as a staff that that will happen,” Klinkradt said. “The players believe that’s where you can see the energy in the group is still really good right now.”
The team will face off against Harvard on Sept. 18 at 4 p.m. at Chase Arena before heading to Orono, Maine, for a match against the University of Maine on Sept. 20.
