Field Hockey Drops Last Game of the Year

Saturday, November 6

Ithaca, N.Y.

12:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Cornell

11/6/2010 3:09:00 PM | Field Hockey

By: Dartmouth

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Dartmouth field hockey looked to end the 2010 season on a high note but Cornell had other plans as the Big Red took a 4-2 victory on Saturday afternoon on Marsha Dodson Field. Cornell seniors accounted for two goals and one assist as the Big Red was led by Catie De Stio, who became the school's all-time career points leader in the win.

The victory allowed the Big Red to finish with an 11-5 overall record and a mark of 5-2 in the Ivy League as Cornell finished in a tie for second place finish in the conference standings. The Big Green fell to 10-7 overall, 3-4 in the league as Dartmouth finished tied for fourth.

Cornell controlled the game, holding the edge in shots (23-9), shots on goal (18-7) and penalty corners (14-7). The Big Red also managed to shut down one of the best penalty corner offenses in the nation, not allowing the Big Green unit to score.

Dartmouth was held in the game by the outstanding play of junior goalie, Megan Vakiener (Port Murray, N.J.), who finished with 13 saves, while Liz Blanken (Short Hills, N.J.) registered a defensive save.

The Big Red went up 1-0 on its first shot of the game when senior Mattie Prodanovic and Kate Thompson teamed up for a give-and-go off a penalty corner attempt.

Dartmouth responded with a goal by Allie Weinstock (Pittsburgh, Pa.), her second of the season, at the 23:01 mark as the teams went into halftime tied at 1-1.

De Stio opened the scoring in the second half in the 42nd minute putting the home team up, 2-1. Then less than five minutes later, Hanna Balleza tipped a Sara Sanders' shot into the back of the net but Virginia Peisch (Koenigstein, Germany) responded almost immediately with a great individual effort to keep it a one-goal game at 47:48.

The Big Red continued to push and got an insurance goal late in the game from Kat Di Pastina to account for the 4-2 final.

Alex Botte finished with five saves for Cornell while Vakiener stopped a season-high 13 shots.