Women's Soccer Starts Season with 3-0 Shutout of Monmouth

Sunday, September 7

Hanover, N.H.

12:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Monmouth

Women's Soccer Starts Season with 3-0 Shutout of Monmouth

9/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

HANOVER. N.H. ? A pair of first-time goal-scorers got the job done in the second half for the Dartmouth women's soccer team (1-0) as it knocked out Monmouth (2-1), 3-0 in the season-opener at Burnham Field.

Dartmouth started the game strong and had multiple opportunities in the first half, out-shooting Monmouth, 9-3. In the 19th minute, Maggie Goldstein (Hillsborough, Calif.) beat her defender, turned and fired but Monmouth goalkeeper Lia Fierro was there to make the stop for the Hawks. Monmouth had its biggest chance of the half just six minutes later when Illiana Blackshear broke through the defense and was one-on-one with Dartmouth senior goalkeeper Laurel Peak (Redding, Conn.). It looked as though Blackshear would put one away but Peak came out and stonewalled her point blank shot, snagging the ball off the rebound.

Myra Sack (Wynnewood, Pa.) had one of her many chances in the first half when she went up for a header in traffic off a cross from senior Becky Poskin (Leawood, Kan.) and it went just over the crossbar. Sophomore Peyton Tata (Virginia Beach, Va.) gave the Big Green a boost off the bench in the closing minutes of the half with a couple of attempts, but the teams remained tied 0-0 at the break.

Monmouth controlled play early in the second half, but did not create any real chances until a dangerous corner kick in the 53rd minute was eventually cleared out by Peak and the defense. Dartmouth's first big chance of the second half came in the 58th minute when a corner kick found Fierro off her line and Kelsey Quick (Bernardsville, N.J.) collected the ball and fired but Fierro made an impressive move to get back for the save. The Hawks responded with a dangerous attempt after a throw in when Blackshear took a shot in traffic but sophomore back Melisa Krnjaic (Washington, D.C.) blocked it and cleared the ball.

Though the Big Green had held a sizeable shot advantage, it took until the 74th minute of play for the scoreboard to reflect it. As she had done all afternoon, Quick started things for the Big Green with a free kick from 30 yards out. She followed her blocked ball to the right side and crossed it over but it was deflected out to Krnjaic who fired a rocket from the left side. Monmouth's Fierro saved the shot but sophomore Alexis Euwema (Oak Brook, Ill.) was there for the rebound with a timely header for her first collegiate goal.

Dartmouth rode the wave of Euwema's tally and maintained possession after the restart. It was Quick again, this time getting the assist as she crossed the ball in from the right side to a well-positioned freshman Jennifer Williams (Cincinnati, Ohio), who headed the ball past Fierro to make in 2-0, Dartmouth in the 79th minute. Euwema would double her career scoring tally when she iced the 3-0 win with her second goal of the day, cleaning up after a goalmouth scramble in the 84th minute.

Quick noted that the adrenaline helped keep Dartmouth on top. “We created a chart this season with goals and one of them includes five minutes after any goal (either team) and we got a few check marks for it today," she said.

The Big Green maintained control for most of the final minutes to earn the shutout. For the game, Dartmouth peppered Monmouth with 20 shots, forcing Fierro to make eight saves. The Hawks took seven attempts, with Peak coming through to make two stops. The backline of Krnjaic, seniors Emily Forline (Bethesda, Md.) and Whitney Odden (Bozeman, Mont.) and freshman Erin Fleischli (San Mateo, Calif.) got the job done all day to keep a clean sheet.

“We were disappointed not to travel to LSU but it didn't matter who we played we wanted to win," said Hind. "I am pleased with the way we did it today and it gives us some confidence going to play some big guns this weekend. Maryland and Virginia will be good teams and Monmouth had some big kids that prepared us for what we will face this weekend. It's a good start and gets us headed in the right direction.”

Dartmouth is back in action this weekend when it heads to Charlottesville, Va. to face Maryland on Friday, Sept. 12 at 4:30 p.m. and #6 Virginia at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14.

Kelsey Quick