Women's Lacrosse Knocks Out Harvard, 11-7

Wednesday, April 16

Cambridge, Mass.

4:00 p.m.

Dartmouth College

Harvard

Women?s Lacrosse Sweeps Ivy League Weekly Awards

4/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

Cambridge, Mass. ? A team effort on offense and a big day in goal by sophomore Julie Wadland (Andover, Mass.) gave the Dartmouth women's lacrosse team an 11-7 win at Harvard today.

The Big Green (6-6, 2-4 Ivy) snapped a two-game skid with the victory over the Crimson (7-6, 1-4 Ivy).

Wadland put forth yet another impressive performance between the pipes, making 10 saves and grabbing three ground balls, while her teammates boosted her effort by scoring 11 goals. Harvard actually held a 24-19 shot advantage, but the Big Green's economic shot selection and dominance on the draw - winning 16 of 21 draw controls - proved the difference maker.

It took a while for either team to get its engine started in the first half, but Dartmouth finally broke the stalemate when Eliza Bennett (Darien, Conn.) had an unassisted tally at 16:53. Each team added another quick goal and the Big Green took a temporary 2-1 lead at 13:25 after a Cate Goytisolo (Cockeysville, Md.) score.

Harvard then rattled off three unanswered goals by three different players in just over two minutes to go up 4-2 at 4:21. Dartmoth would not back down, and had some fun of its own with two goals just over a minute apart by senior Kristen Barry (Duxbury, Mass.) and sophomore Colleen Olsen (Avon, Conn.) to knot it at 4-4 at halftime.

The Crimson held a 16-6 shot advantage in the first half, with Wadland making nine saves during the period and the Big Green scoring on all but two of its attempts.

Dartmouth came out firing on all cylinders in the second half, starting with Shannie MacKenzie's (Riverside, Conn.) first collegiate goal off a feed from Goytisolo. MacKenzie won the draw control and was rewarded with a pass from Goytisolo for the tally at 29:18. The Big Green scored two quick goals just 32 seconds apart in the 27th minute from Kat Collins (Darien, Conn.) and Barry to make it 7-4, Dartmouth, at 27:02.

The Crimson had an answer in the form of back-to-back goals by Sarah Bancroft and Caroline Simmons to cut the lead to one at 19:08, but Bennett scored the eventual game-winner at 17:51 to make it 8-6, Big Green. Simmons scored Harvard's last goal of the game at 15:18, pulling her team within one, but that would be if for the Crimson offense.

The Big Green's defense buckled down while the offense added three more goals including a good free position shot by Goytisolo and two late tallies by Barry, the second assisted by rookie Greta Meyer (Denver, Colo.) to make it 11-7, Dartmouth.

Seven different players finished with a point for the Big Green while eight had a draw control. Barry led both categories with four goals and five draw controls in a stellar outing.

Harvard goalkeeper Katherine Martino made seven saves including five in the second half when the Big Green held a 13-8 shot advantage. Kaitlin Martin had four points on four assists to pace the Crimson offense.

There will be little rest for the Dartmouth women, who face a tall task on Saturday at noon when they head to Princeton to take on the 2nd ranked Tigers. Heading into tonight's matchup with #7 Penn at 7:00 p.m., #2 Princeton was undefeated on the season. The Big Green has won three of the last four against the Tigers.