O'Dea Nets Two as Big Green Dominates Bryant in 2-1 Win

Tuesday, November 3

Smithfield, R.I.

3:00 p.m.

Dartmouth College

at Bryant

O'Dea Nets Two as Big Green Dominates Bryant in 2-1 Win

11/3/2009 4:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Though it was only a one goal differential, the Dartmouth women's soccer team teed off for 26 shots in a 2-1 victory at Bryant this afternoon, allowing only four attempts for the Bulldogs.

Bryant goalkeeper Katie Mitchell kept the score close for her team with 10 saves, but it was all Dartmouth in a balanced team effort. Seventeen field players saw action in the win, helping the Big Green improve to 9-7 overall while the Bulldogs dropped to 4-12-2.

Sophomore Aly O'Dea (Irvine, Calif.) had a field day, firing 11 shots at Mitchell and making good on two, one in each half. O'Dea now has nine goals on the season which is tied for 10th in the all-time Dartmouth records. Her nine goals scored to date are the most since Sarah Johnson '07 did so in 2005.

The game started off without too many chances, and Dartmouth was whistled for an uncharacteristic five offsides calls in the first 28 minutes. The Bulldogs tested sophomore goalie Anna Chinco (Sacramento, Calif.) early when she made a save on an attempt by Mary Green in the seventh minute. Bryant ultimately got on the board first when Jennifer Harding made good on just the second shot of the game for her team. Harding picked off the defense in the box and beat Chinco to the left side for a 1-0 lead.

The Big Green picked up the pace from that point, but the Bulldogs kept their composure and managed to keep the lead almost until the half. O'Dea finally broke through to tie the game in the 43rd minute when she picked up a thru ball from Myra Sack (Wynnewood, Pa.) and fired past Mitchell to the right side. The teams went into halftime tied, 1-1, and Dartmouth holding a 10-2 shot advantage.

It was all Dartmouth in the second half and the Big Green wasted little time getting the go-ahead goal. Kelsey Quick (Bernardsville, N.J.) started things off when she fired one at Mitchell, who made a save but could not control the ball. O'Dea was right there for the rebound to score the game-winner. It marked Quick's team-leading fifth assist of the season.

With the lead in hand, Dartmouth settled down and continued to get quality looks at goal, but credit to Mitchell for keeping the Big Green off the board for the balance of the half. Rookie Libby Hamlin (Rockville, Conn.) and O'Dea had consecutive shots saved in the 63rd minute. Bryant broke out of its own defensive end in the 70th minute and Alex DiPippo fired but sent it high of the goal. The Big Green countered with an Ali Hubbard (Marshfield, Mass.) offering that Mitchell saved.

Dartmouth kept the pressure on until the end including another O'Dea attempt saved and offerings from Quick and Hubbard that went wide and blocked, respectively. Becky Poskin (Leawood, Kan.) made a great run to the goal in the last five minutes and was fouled hard but there was no call on the play. Bryant had a sputter in the closing minutes with a scramble in Dartmouth's half resulting in a free kick for the Bulldogs, but no offense came of it.

Dartmouth closes out the regular season at home this Saturday night when it hosts Cornell at 6:30 p.m. at Burnham Field. Prior to the game, the Big Green will honor its six seniors: Ali Hubbard, Becky Poskin, Kelsey Quick, Myra Sack, Jenny Stone and Thea Sutton.