Women's Soccer Draws With Ivy Rival #25 Harvard on Senior Night, 1-1

Saturday, November 1

Hanover, N.H.

4:30 PM

Dartmouth College

Harvard

Women's Soccer Draws With Ivy Rival #25 Harvard on Senior Night, 1-1

11/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

HANOVER, N.H. ? Two teams fully determined to earn a win met on Burnham Field tonight but neither gave way as the Dartmouth and Harvard women's soccer teams played to a 1-1 tie.

The 25th ranked Crimson (9-3-4, 4-1-1 Ivy) came into Hanover looking to stay atop the Ivy race while the Big Green (7-6-2, 1-4-1 Ivy), which has had many close calls this year, had a chance to play spoiler. With two teams so revved up for the battle, it was natural that a hotly contested, 110-minute Ivy battle resulted. The teams were even throughout, with Harvard holding a slight edge in shots, 16-14. Dartmouth senior goalkeeper Laurel Peak (Redding, Conn.) led the charge for her class in its final home game with an impressive 11-save performance.

Harvard had a chance to score the game's first goal in the 19th minute. Katherine Sheeleigh crossed the ball into the box and Peak surged out for it, but the ball lost speed and Christina Hagner came from the left side poised to score. Ever fearless, Peak kept her pace and dominated Hagner in a sliding collision to win the ball. Just minutes later senior Whitney Odden (Bozeman, Mont.) chased down Hagner and made a brilliant slide tackle to save a one-on-one chance.

Dartmouth kept the pressure on Harvard in return and it paid off in the 36th minute. Junior Kelsey Quick (Bernardsville, N.J.) sent the ball into the box from close range and had senior Becky Poskin (Leawood, Kan.) in the goalmouth for insurance. The Crimson defense was confused on the play and Quick's ball found the back of the net to put the Big Green ahead, 1-0.

Harvard responded well to the Dartmouth goal, mounting a frantic attack including three corner kicks in the final eight minutes. The defense weathered the storm including a great play by Anna Barrett (Washington, D.C.) to clear out the ball when Peak was out of reach. Peak was back on her toes in the 40th minute when she needed all of her 5-9 frame to punch a high bullet from Melanie Baskind over the crossbar.

Dartmouth had two great chances of its own in the final minute when Poskin fired a shot that sailed over keeper Laura' Dale's head but went just inches over the crossbar as well. Junior Myra Sack (Wynnewood, Pa.) nearly had the insurance goal just second later but Dale made a bold move for a one-on-one save just before the break.

The Big Green went into the half with a 1-0 lead and a slight 7-6 shot advantage.

Dartmouth was just inches from what might have been a winner in the 55th minute when Sack got new Harvard keeper Lauren Mann off her line when she sent the ball in for Peyton Tata (Virginia Beach, Va.). Tata had a wide open goal but hit the far post.

It was Harvard's turn 10 minutes later when Sheeleigh showed her speed, breaking down the right side but Peak was ready, stonewalling her shot and securing the rebound. Unfortunately for Dartmouth that was only foreshadowing the 72nd minute when Sheeleigh had a one-on-one with Peak and fired from the top of the box, beating her to the left side to even it up, 1-1.

Both teams had their chances late in the game but neither mounted too dangerous of a threat and the contested went to overtime, deadlocked at 1-1.

The Big Green had the first significant scoring chance of overtime when rookie Aly O'Dea (Irvine, Calif.) fired from the right side with a box full of Dartmouth jerseys. Mann made a great play, stretching as far as she could to deflect the ball, saving what might have easily been a score for the Green.

The Crimson had the last true chance of the first overtime when Baskind turned and fired in traffic from the top of the box but Peak was there for the save.

The squads battled frantically in the second overtime period, with both playing to win but neither could catch the break it needed and the game ended in a 1-1 tie.

Peak finished with 11 saves in an impressive outing for Dartmouth while Dale and Mann each had four saves for Harvard.

The Big Green honored the six members of the senior class: Peak, Poskin, Odden, Barrett, Emily Forline (Bethesda, Md.) and Caitlin MacDonald (Pleasanton, Calif.) prior to the game. All six started the contest.

Dartmouth closes out the season next Saturday at Cornell for a 4:30 p.m. start.