Field Hockey Opens Ivy League Play with Loss to Princeton

Box Score

HANOVER, N.H. - The Dartmouth field hockey team began the 2009 Ivy League season today, but fourth-ranked Princeton spoiled the opener with a 5-1 win over the Big Green at Chase AstroTurf Field.

For Dartmouth (1-3, 0-1 Ivy), junior Rebecca Sobel (Larchmont, N.Y.) tallied her sixth goal of the season and earned her 14th point in the loss, while sophomore Meagan Vakiener (Port Murray, N.J.) pushed aside 18 shots, but took the loss.

For Princeton (5-0, 1-0 Ivy), Kathleen Sharkey and Julia Reinprecht led the way with five goals between the two as Sharkey netted a hat tick and Reinprecht added two scores of her own. Also getting in on the scoring act was Kaitlyn Perrelle, who posted three points with a goal and an assist. Jennifer King got the win without making a save in the first half, while Cynthia Wray relieved King in the second half and made one save.

Princeton didn't waste any time getting on the board as Reinprecht netted her two goals in the first 10 minutes of play to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead. Her first came on a nice individual effort inside the circle as she beat a couple of Big Green defenders and then Vakiener low to the left of the cage. The second came off of a rebound as she was camped out at the left post and collected the ball and beat Vakiener.

Sharkey recorded her first of three on the afternoon with an unassisted goal just under a minute following Reinprecht's second tally. The Tigers added to their total about five minutes later to make it 4-0 as Perrelle tallied her lone goal of the game as Katie Reinprecht found Perrelle from across the crease and she put home the goal.

Just before halftime, Princeton pushed it to 5-0 with another score from Sharkey. She had a nice tip in on a pass from Perrelle.

Dartmouth got on the board six minutes into the second half as Sobel posted her sixth of the season. Sophomore Kelly Hood (Berlin, N.H.) fired a ball on net that was blocked and Sobel collected the ball at the left post and beat Wray for the score to make it 5-1.

Princeton closed out the scoring on a penalty corner as Sharkey fired home a nice shot from the top of the circle with the assists going to Alyssa Pyros and Michelle Cesan.

Dartmouth will be back in action tomorrow afternoon at Chase AstroTurf Field as Boston University comes to Hanover for a non-conference match-up at 3 p.m.

Schedules