Field Hockey Opens Season With 5-0 Win Over Sacred Heart

Friday, September 2

Hanover, N.H.

2:00 PM

Dartmouth College

SACRED HEART

Field Hockey Opens Season With 5-0 Win Over Sacred Heart

9/2/2011 5:03:00 PM | Field Hockey

By: Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. - Senior goalkeeper Meagan Vakiener (Port Murray, N.J.) recorded a shutout and fellow senior Kelly Hood (Berlin, N.H.) scored two goals as the Dartmouth field hockey team defeated Sacred Heart, 5-0, to open the season in the 2011 Big Green Classic Friday afternoon at Chase AstroTurf Field.

Junior Maya Herm (Bethesda, Md.) joined Hood with two goals in the contest as the Big Green (1-0) began the season with the victory. The Pioneers (1-2) were held scoreless for the first time this year in what was the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

"I was happy that we were able to show off some of the depth that we have had over the last few years," head coach Amy Fowler said. "We were finishers today. We had a lot of shots, but we were also able to capitalize on some attacking opportunities."

Hood started the scoring with two goals just five minutes apart midway through the first half. Last year's scoring leader with 18 goals notched her first of the 2011 season off a corner with Herm and junior Lisa Masini (Ann Arbor, Mich.) picking up the assists on the marker.

Hood's second was unassisted as the fourth-year player put a shot past Sacred Heart's Kim Stow in goal from the top of the circle.

Herm followed Hood's lead with her two goals coming five minutes apart midway through the second half. Freshman Rebecca Hu (Skillman, N.J.) assisted Herm on the first, while junior Samantha McPherson (Ventura, Calif.) set up the Big Green's fourth goal of the afternoon with a long lateral pass to Herm stationed at the right side for the tip-in.

McPherson got on the board herself just five minutes after Herm's second tally. The Ventura, Calif., native received a pass from Masini inside the circle and put a low shot between the legs of Stow, who had come out to challenge the shot.

With the two first-half goals, Hood is now just one back of Lauren Welsh '02 for the program's all-time goal-scoring record. Hood has 46 career goals after Friday's win and has a chance to tie or break the record of 47 on Sunday.

In earning the shutout, Vakiener stopped all six shots she faced. The senior goalkeeper benefited from the defense in front of her that held the Pioneers to just 12 total shots. The Big Green outshot their opponent, 29-12, in the game.

Sacred Heart will take on Longwood in the second game of the weekend, Saturday at 2 p.m. Dartmouth and Longwood will square off Sunday at noon in the final contest of the 2011 Big Green Classic.