Field Hockey Drops 5-2 Decision to No. 12 UNH at Home

Sunday, September 11

Hanover, N.H.

3:00 PM

Dartmouth College

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Dartmouth Field Hockey Opens 2011 With Big Green Classic

Field Hockey Drops 5-2 Decision to No. 12 UNH at Home

9/11/2011 6:01:00 PM | Field Hockey

By: Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. - Junior Lisa Masini (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and senior Kelly Hood (Berlin, N.H.) scored second-half goals for the Dartmouth field hockey team Sunday afternoon against in-state rival New Hampshire. However, those two goals weren't enough offense for the Big Green to overcome UNH's attack, falling, 5-2, at Chase Field.

The seven-goal outburst in the second half of play was in stark contrast to the first 35 minutes when neither team was able to get on the board.

The No. 12-ranked Wildcats looked strong in the early goings, taking 10 shots in the opening period to the Big Green's one.

When UNH got on the board first with a Hayley Rausch goal three minutes into the second it appeared to be a continuance of their first-half play. But that was not to be the case, as Masini evened the score at one with her first of the season just five minutes later.

Masini, a junior known for her passing prowess, collected a loose ball in the circle and put a low shot into the back of the goal past UNH goalkeeper Katherine Nagengast. Junior Liz Blanken (Short Hills, N.J.) was credited with an assist on the team's opening goal.

UNH answered with three goals in three and a half minutes, with two coming from Woodstock, Vt., native Whitney Frates.

Hood, a senior co-captain who recently broke the program record with her 47th career goal on Wednesday at Maine, notched her fifth of the season with 13:31 remaining to pull her team to within two, 4-2.

Hood's goal came courtesy of a penalty corner with Masini and freshman Janine Leger (Johannesburg, South Africa) picking up the assists. Masini now has five this season, while the helper was the first for Leger in her young Dartmouth career.

A third Frates goal sealed the 5-2 UNH win with just under 10 minutes remaining.

Senior goalkeeper Meagan Vakiener (Port Murray, N.J.) tied her season high with six saves in the game as she was faced with a potent Wildcat offense throughout. Dartmouth turned their offensive numbers from the first half around, outshooting its opponent, 10-9, in the second.

The Big Green became the first team this season to score more than one goal in a game against nationally-ranked UNH after the Wildcats only allowed just four goals in their first five games with no opponent managing more than one.

Dartmouth will look to put behind this loss when they play next, Saturday, Sept. 17 against Princeton. The Big Green and the Tigers will square off from Chase Field in Hanover at noon.