Dartmouth Women Drop 1-0 Heartbreaker to Brown in Ivy Opener

Sunday, September 28

Hanover, N.H.

2:30 PM

Dartmouth College

Brown

Dartmouth Women Drop 1-0 Heartbreaker to Brown in Ivy Opener

9/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

HANOVER, N.H. - The Dartmouth women's soccer team threw everything it had at Brown this afternoon, but the Bears clamped down defensively for their first win over the Big Green in 13 years.

The Big Green drops to 4-3, 0-1 Ivy while the Bears improve to 3-3-2, 1-0 Ivy. Brown had not beaten Dartmouth in its last 13 tries. Dartmouth held a sizeable, 17-11 shot advantage and took 11 corner kicks including eight in the second half.

Brown came out of the gates fired up and tested Dartmouth keeper Laurel Peak (Redding, Conn.) early. The Bears had two corner kicks in the first 10 minutes including one that led to an amazing point blank save by Peak off an attempt by Bridget Ballard.

Dartmouth responded by earning two corners in the 15th minute, but was unable to pull the trigger for a goal.

The Big Green was inches away from the lead in the 32nd minute. Junior Kelsey Quick (Bernardsville, N.J.) sent a perfect ball into the box for classmate Myra Sack (Wynnewood, Pa.). Sack timed her jump and had Brown keeper Brenna Hogue beat, but the header went just high.

The teams were scoreless at the half and Dartmouth took a 5-4 shot advantage after 45 minutes.

A driving rainstorm began just as the second half commenced, creating slippery conditions for the two teams. Dartmouth came out aggressively despite the rain and looked poised for the equalizer. However, just as Dartmouth was gaining momentum, Brown was able to capitalize for its first goal against Dartmouth since 2002. After a breakaway, Marybeth Lesbirel fired a shot from the left side and Peak made a diving save. The ball slipped form Peak's grasp and Sylvia Stone was there to clean it up and put away the eventual game-winner for Brown.

Dartmouth controlled play for most of the second half, peppering the Bears with corners and free kicks. The Big Green struggled to find the back the net though, despite filling Brown's goalmouth with white jerseys. Dartmouth's hit the crossbar three times in the last five minutes, epitomizing the heartbreaking game.

"I think we started a bit subdued," said head coach Angie Hind. "Unfortunately we gave up that goal just as we were playing well. Credit to them though, I thought that was the best I have seen from a Brown side."

Peak made six saves in the game, each more impressive than the last, and picked off countless Brown cross attempts. Sack and sophomore Peyton Tata (Virginia Beach, Va.) led Dartmouth with four shots apiece.

Brown held on and took just four more shots while Dartmouth had 12 attempts in the half.

The Big Green has a chance to regroup before its second Ivy game - a date at Princeton next Sunday at 1:00 p.m. - when it hosts Boston University this Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m.