Dartmouth Balanced Attack Sends Maine Packing, 3-1

Friday, September 4

Hanover, N.H.

3:00 p.m.

Dartmouth College

Maine

Dartmouth Balanced Attack Sends Maine Packing, 3-1

9/4/2009 6:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

Hanover, N.H. – Six different players earned a point as the Dartmouth women's soccer team opened the 2009 campaign with a 3-1 win over Maine (1-2) at Burnham Field this afternoon.

Senior midfielder Myra Sack (Wynnewood, Pa.) scored the first goal of the season for the Big Green (1-0) while junior Peyton Tata (Virginia Beach, Va.) hammered the game-winner. Sophomore Colleen Hogan (Houston, Texas) earned her first career win in her first collegiate start with two saves in goal.

Dartmouth came out firing on all cylinders, pressuring Maine's defense and rookie goalkeeper from the start. Senior Kelsey Quick (Bernardsville, N.J.) had several good looks go just shy of the goalmouth in the early goings while Maine struggled to get any looks at the Dartmouth goal. The Green's pressure paid off when Quick sent in a nice cross for Sack, who powered the ball into the top left corner, putting Dartmouth ahead 1-0 in the 27th minute.

Maine regrouped after the Dartmouth goal and had the Big Green on its heels. The Black Bears drew a free kick about 25 yards out on the left side and Kelsey Wilson sent a rocket into the box. Laura Martel capitalized on a goalmouth scramble and beat Hogan with a high header in the corner.

Dartmouth withstood more pressure from the Black Bears following their goal but the teams battled hard in both ends. Rookie Grace Best (Downingtown, Pa.) wasted little time getting involved in her first collegiate game. Best pulled Maine keeper Meagan Price-Leibenzeder out of the goal and into a one-on-one battle. She managed to win the ball and deflect it towards a waiting Tata to her left. Tata patiently held off her defender and controlled the ball before firing an arcing shot off her left foot and over the head of the retreating keeper to make it 2-1 Big Green in the 40th minute.

The Big Green held onto its lead into halftime, up 2-1 with an 8-3 advantage in shots.

It was more of the same in the second, with Dartmouth controlling the tempo but securing fewer shots on goal. Aly O'Dea (Irvine, Calif.) and Becky Poskin (Leawood, Kan.) continued to make good runs for the Big Green, keeping the Maine defense on its toes.

Dartmouth finally picked up an insurance goal in the 73rd minute when junior back Melisa Krnjaic (Washington, D.C.) sent a booming free kick into the box from the right side. O'Dea connected and put the ball in the left corner for a 3-1 Dartmouth lead.

The Big Green held off the Black Bears for the remainder of the contest, including an impressive challenge by senior back Thea Sutton (San Rafael, Calif.). Sutton tracked down Martel and pushed her off the ball to thwart a breakaway for the Bears.

Dartmouth finished with an 11-5 advantage in shots to earn to 3-1 win. Head coach Angie Hind is now 3-2 in season openers and the Big Green is 21-8-2 all-time.

It's a quick turnaround before San Diego State comes to town for an 11 a.m. matchup on Sunday at Burnham Field.