Colgate Slips Past Dartmouth Women's Soccer, 1-0

Friday, September 3

Hanover, N.H.

7:00 pm

Dartmouth College

COLGATE

Colgate Slips Past Dartmouth Women's Soccer, 1-0

9/3/2010 10:07:00 PM | Women's Soccer

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

HANOVER, N.H. - The Dartmouth women's soccer team nearly had the tying goal in the final second, but took a 1-0 loss to Colgate in its season opener tonight at Burnham Field.

The game was part of the 2010 Dartmouth Nike Classic, which opened with Northeastern taking a 1-0 win over Brown.

Colgate (1-3) had taken the 1-0 lead late in the first half and after a back-and-forth second half, Dartmouth (0-1) almost tied the game in the last seconds. As the final 10 seconds were counted down over the public address, Dartmouth mounted one last attack. Junior Ally Dutton (Granite Bay, Calif.) sent a long ball into the box where freshman Marina Moschitto (Andover, Mass.) was in perfect position to tap the ball into the goal. Before Moschitto could get to the ball she was fouled hard and the ball trickled towards the goal, reaching the goal line just before the buzzer sounded but nicking the post. No penalty was awarded on the foul in the box, allowing Colgate to hold on for the 1-0 win.

A solid and spirited crowd turned out to cheer on the Big Green, who battled neck-and-neck with the defending Patriot League Champion Raiders all night. Each time one side would gain momentum, the other seemed to snap it and counter with a surge of its own.

Dartmouth outshot Colgate, 10-7 and each team had three corner kicks. Junior goalkeeper Colleen Hogan (Houston, Texas) made three saves while Colgate's Ashley Walsh made four.

Colgate tested Hogan in the early goings, forcing her into two saves in the first 12 minutes starting with a long ball by Alyssa Mangoogian that hooked down to be on goal but Hogan punched it out barely and corralled the rebound. Minutes later Kelsey Hough sent in a long ball that Hogan also stopped.

Dartmouth countered with two good opportunities off a Libby Hamlin (Vernon, Conn.) sprint past three defenders and a corner by senior Melisa Krnjaic (Washington, D.C.). Hamlin had another great look in the 28^th minute when she made run down the right side, beat the keeper and had an open goal but a very tough angle and her shot went just wide. It was more of the same minutes later for junior Aly O'Dea (Irvine, Calif.) with a miss outside the far post.

The Big Green controlled the pace in the first half but Colgate's counterattack was dangerous on several occasions, coming through for a goal in the 43^rd minute. Mangoogian connected on her second attempt with a long ball, curving it around the post and surprising a diving Hogan for the 1-0 lead.

Dartmouth came out attacking in the second half and had some great chances paced by Hamlin again. The Raiders soon answered and cooled the Big Green's blazing start by possessing the ball on offense for a long stretch. The second half ultimately consisted of much back-and-forth play in midfield.

The Raiders had a chance to go up two with a shot by Jillian Kinter but Hogan made her only save of the second to keep them at bay. Krnjaic sent a ball into the box for a waiting Peyton Tata (Virginia Beach, Va.) in the 75^th minute, but it ended up being on goal and into the gut of Colgate's Walsh.

Dartmouth kept pressing the ball into Colgate's defensive end as the game neared a close but the Raiders did a nice job of clearing the danger each time. Dutton's play in the closing 10 seconds was started with a throw-in by Krnjaic and proved a heartbreaking end for the Big Green.

Dartmouth will regroup tomorrow before hosting Northeastern on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Brown plays Colgate at noon.