Dartmouth Opens Ivy Play with Columbia on Wednesday

The #16 Dartmouth women's lacrosse team begins its quest for the Ivy League title with a St. Patrick's Day matinee, hosting Columbia this Wednesday, March 17 at noon.

Game 4: Columbia (2-1, 0-1 Ivy) at #16 Dartmouth (2-1, 0-0 Ivy)
Date: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 • 12:00 PM
Location: Hanover, N.H. • Scully Fahey Field
Multimedia: Livestats • Live Video ($)

Dartmouth - Columbia Series: Dartmouth leads, 12-0
Last Meeting: 4/26/09 • New York, N.Y.
Result: Dartmouth 12 - Columbia 9
Streak: Dartmouth +12
Dartmouth has had little trouble with Columbia since the Lions started playing Ivy lacrosse in 1998. The Big Green has scored 11+ goals in all 12 meetings and has never given up double-digit goals to the Lions. Last season, Dartmouth's 12-9 victory was the closest game in series history, as Columbia had one of its best seasons.

THIS TIME OUT
#16 Dartmouth hosts Columbia this Wednesday, looking to remain unbeaten all-time against the Lions. The Big Green will need to shake off any rust from a 10-day layoff for exams, having last played on March 7.

LAST TIME OUT
Then #20 Dartmouth played a tremendous game for a full 60 minutes, upsetting#8 Notre Dame on the Irish's home field on March 7. The Big Green led 4-1 at halftime and withstood an early second half ND flurry that made it 4-3 in the first minute. The Big Green responded with a 5-0 run to quelch any thoughts of an Irish victory, ultimately taking the 12-8 win. Julie Wadland made 12 saves in goal while Greta Meyer had five points and Kirsten Goldberg scored five goals off the bench. The win came on the heels of a 22-2 trouncing of Vermont at Scully Fahey Field on March 3. Ten different players recorded a point in that win, led by six goals from Kat Collins and three goals, eight assists by Meyer.

NEXT TIME OUT
Dartmouth heads to top-10 foe Syracuse for a showdown next Wednesday, March 24. The Big Green will look to shake off losses to the Orange in the last two seasons before hosting Yale on Saturday March 27.

THE RANKINGS
(March 15th rankings not yet available) Dartmouth moved back up to its original ranking of 16th in the IWCLA coaches poll on March 8, after defeating #8 Notre Dame on March 7. Inside Lacrosse looked even more favorably on the Big Green, shooting up to 12th after being booted out of the rankings following the loss to UNH. Seven Dartmouth opponents are currently in the IWLCA Top-20.

THE SCHEDULE
As of the March 8 IWLCA Coaches poll, Dartmouth will take on seven top-20 teams this season, as well as Cornell, who just dropped out of the poll. The Big Green plays just six of its 14 games at home this season, though it could host the inaugural Ivy League Tournament if it wins the regular season.

WEEKLY HONORS
After big wins over Vermont, 22-2, at #8 Notre Dame, 12-8, Dartmouth players picked up well-deserved accolades. Junior Greta Meyer took home Inside Lacrosse National Player of the Week and Ivy Offensive Player of the Week honors after a 13-point week. She dished out eight assists and shot better than 85 percent on goal. Senior Julie Wadland, who shut out the Catamounts in the second half and made 12 saves and at Notre Dame, was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week.

TEWAARATON TIME
Three members of the Dartmouth women's lacrosse team - Kat Collins, Colleen Olsen, and Julie Wadland - have been named to the 2010 Tewaaraton Award Watch List. Recognized as the nation's pre-eminent lacrosse award, the Tewaaraton is presented to the top female and male collegiate lacrosse players in the United States.

Wadland, a senior goalie, is no stranger to these accolades, having been one of 23 national nominees for the 2009 Tewaaraton. Wadland is off to a solid start this season, sporting a 6.62 goals against average after earning All-Ivy first team accolades in 2009. Olsen, a senior midfielder/defender, makes her debut in consideration for the Tewaaraton after a stellar junior year. Last season, Olsen earned All-Ivy and IWLCA All-Northeast second team honors, after leading the Ivy League in ground balls and caused turnovers. Collins, a junior attack, returns as the centerpiece of the Big Green's offense this fall. Last spring, Collins led the Big Green with 51 points on 38 goals and 13 assists, leading the Ivy League in points and goals in conference play. She was a unanimous All-Ivy first team choice and an IWLCA All-Northeast team selection.

A LOOK AT COLUMBIA
Columbia comes into the 2010 campaign after one of its best seasons ever, turning in a 9-7 record last spring including an Ivy win over Harvard. The Lions are off to a 2-1 start this spring, defeating Monmouth and Bucknell at home before dropping a tough 9-7 loss to Cornell on March 10. Three players have scored at least 10 points this season - rookie Kacie Johnson with 14, junior Gabrielle Geronimos with 12, including a team-best 11 goals, and senior Brittany Shannon with 11. Sophomore Amanda Goodhart's seven ground balls and seven caused turnovers pace the defense, as does classmate Karlee Blank's 32 saves and 10.09 GAA in goal.

FAMILIAR FACES
Dartmouth brings back 11 starters from last year's team to the fold this spring, with more than that having starting experience. The Big Green maintains the bulk of its scoring, though the lone graduated starter, Katherine Chiusano '09, ran the low attack, ranking second on the team with 48 points including 23 assists. Junior Kat Collins (Darien, Conn.) will have the spotlight on her as she returns from a unanimous first team All-Ivy season in which she scored 51 points including 38 goals. Senior co-captain Eliza Bennett (Darien, Conn.) who tallied 15 points despite injuries last year, will be called upon to replace Chiusano as the quarterback of the offense. Defensively, first team All-Ivy goalie Julie Wadland (Andover, Mass.) and second team All-Ivy defender Colleen Olsen (Avon, Conn.), both co-captains, anchor a veteran Dartmouth line.

Schedules