HANOVER, N.H.- Sophomore Tasha Wilkins (Portland, Ore.) scored two goals 10 minutes apart to lead the Dartmouth women's soccer team to a 2-0 win over rival, Harvard, at Burnham Field on Sunday (Oct. 28) afternoon.
The win gives Dartmouth its sixth consecutive victory and is the longest win streak since the 2006 season. The victory also gives the Big Green a perfect 4-0 Ivy League home record and its 12th win of the season - the most since the 2006 season, while keeping the Big Green in the hunt for the Ivy League title.
Dartmouth (12-4-0, 5-1-0 Ivy League) entered the second half deadlocked at 0-0 with the Crimson despite holding the visitors without a shot in the first frame.
The Big Green, as they have for much of the season, opened the second half on the offensive. The home team took three shots in the first seven minutes of the frame, including a shot from Marina Moschitto (Andover, Mass.) that forced Bethany Kanten to come out and make one of her seven saves on the day.
Dartmouth, who dominated the Crimson on the statistical side of things, outshooting the visitors 18-1, was able to pull apart the Harvard (8-5-3, 2-3-1 Ivy League) defense throughout the contest, utilizing long crosses and also won the majority of the 1 vs. 1 battles on the field.
Although the Big Green didn't get on the board in the first half, it wasn't because they didn't have opportunities. Chrissy Lozier (Fairfield, Conn.) looked as if she was going to put Dartmouth up early with a shot that hit the crossbar at the 3:17 mark. Not to be outdone, Libby Hamlin (Vernon, Conn.) teed up a shot that hit the post minutes later and just for good measure the Big Green had a goal from Moschitto called back after an offsides call.
The tide started to change in the 70th minute as Dartmouth began to ramp up its pressure on the offensive side of things, really locking the Crimson into their own half. Wilkins was the recipient of this good fortune in the 76th minute of action.
Emma Brush (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.) placed a ball into the center of the box and after the ball bounced around, Wilkins caught it and put it right into the back of the net, giving the Big Green the lead.
Harvard couldn't muster any offense and its lone shot of the afternoon came at the 83:16 mark and was from goalkeeper Kanten, who saw her shot saved by Dartmouth's Tatiana Saunders (Rye, N.Y.).
The Big Green sealed a win for the 2012 senior class with another goal from Wilkins. She caught the ball in the midfield and took hard driven shot that skirted through Kanten's hands.
The backline for Dartmouth really kept Harvard's offense at bay. Jackie Friedman (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) and Aurelia Solomon (Washington, D.C) shut down the Crimson's leading scorer Meg Casscells-Hamby and their defense really led to the Big Green's offensive effectiveness. The win was also the sixth shutout of the season for the Big Green defense.
Dartmouth closes out the 2012 regular-season with a trip to Cornell (Nov. 3). The Big Green and Big Red will square off at 3:00 p.m. in Ithaca, N.Y.
AGATE
Harvard (8-5-3, 2-3-1 Ivy) vs. Dartmouth (12-4-0, 5-1-0 Ivy)
Date: Oct 28, 2012 Attendance: 1100 Weather: overcast, low 60s
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
Harvard............. 0 0 - 0
Dartmouth........... 0 2 - 2
SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 75:43 DART Wilkins, Tasha (3) (Brush, Emma) - off a rebound to goal
2. 85:06 DART Wilkins, Tasha (4) (unassisted) - hard shot through the goalies hands
Shots: Harvard 1, Dartmouth 18
Saves: Harvard 7 (Kanten, Bethany 7), Dartmouth 1 (Saunders, Tatiana 1)
