Dartmouth Set for Non-Conference Showdown with Robert Morris

Game 4
Robert Morris Colonials (2-2, 0-0 Northeast Conference) at
Dartmouth Big Green (1-2, 0-0 Ivy League)
Saturday, March 9 - 3 p.m.
Hanover, N.H. Scully-Fahey Field

Welcome Home
Dartmouth returns to Hanover to face Robert Morris in non-conference action this weekend. At home the Big Green are 1-1 this season, dropping the opener to No. 10 Colgate, 13-10, and winning their last contest against regional rival Vermont, 13-8. At Scully-Fahey in 2013, head coach Andy Towers' squad has outscored their opponents, 17-12, in the second half. In both home contests this season the Green and White have gone into halftime trailing. Dartmouth has won three of its last four home games.

Nice to Meet You
The match-up on Saturday between the Colonials and the Big Green will be the first ever. Dartmouth's program began in 1926, while Robert Morris had its inaugural season in 2005. Under Towers, the team from the Upper Valley is 2-0 against the Northeast Conference. Conversely, the Colonials are 0-2 all-time against Ivy League schools, falling to in-state rival Penn in 2006 and 2007.

Last Time Out
Dartmouth surrendered a two-goal advantage late in the fourth quarter against Georgetown in the 2013 Patriot Cup. With the Green and White trailing by two late in the third quarter, senior quad-captain Chris Costabile scored to tie the game at seven. Less then a minute into the final quarter Costabile was at it again giving Dartmouth the 8-7 edge. Adam Fishman stretched the Dartmouth lead to 9-7 before Georgetown's Dan McKinney scored a pair of unanswered goals to tie the game with 4:16 remaining in regulation. Less then a minute later, the Hoyas' Jeff Fountain scored the game winner.

On a Roll
Adam Hull became the first member of the Big Green to receive Ivy League recognition this season as he was named to the honor roll this week. The sophomore scored three goals and dished out seven assists in two games last week. The Saint James, N.Y., native opened the week with a goal and three assists against Vermont and followed that with two markers and four helpers in a losing effort against Georgetown. Hull's six points against the Hoyas were a season high for the Big Green.

Freshmen Firepower
The class of 2016 has made a big impact in the first three games of the year combining to score seven goals and add four assists. Cam Lee has scored at least a goal in each game thus far and is fourth on the team with five points, while KC Beard is second on the team with three assists. Billy Heidt has scored a goal in two of the three contests this year for the Big Green.

The Help
The class of 2016 aren't the only fresh faces on the sidelines for Dartmouth, as Towers added two new assistants in the offseason. Tim McIntee joins the staff after coaching at Manhattan for the past 15 years. McIntee is a 1989 graduate of LIU, where he received national recognition as a three-time All-American. Michael Bocklet will serve as the team's offensive coordinator. Bocklet comes to Hanover after spending the last three seasons as an assistant coach at SUNY Cortland. Bocklet is a 2007 graduate of Fairfield and he earned All-New England honors twice at attack.

Scouting the Colonials
After a four-game homestand to open the season, Robert Morris hits the road for the first time. The Colonials are 2-2 early in the season and coming off a 13-12 loss to Drexel. On the road in 2012, Robert Morris was 6-2 and is currently riding a two game winning streak away from the confines of Joe Walton Stadium. Offensively, Eric Rankel and Jake Hayes are tied with a team-high 14 points. Rankel leads the Colonials with nine goals, while Hayes and Jake Graves have a team-best six assists. The Colonials have struggled on faceoffs this season, going just 31-for-89 (.348). In net, Charles Ruppert has made 52 saves. Ruppert has a goals-against average of 9.02 and a save percentage of .591.

Between the Pipes
Senior Bernie Susskind has played well in the first three tilts during the 2013 slate making 32 saves with a save percentage of .508 and a goals-against average of 10.33. Susskind is the only netminder on the roster who's seen collegiate action, appearing in two games last season and making seven saves. The Highland Beach, Fla., native made a career-high 14 saves against the Hoyas last weekend.

Preseason Honors
After a quality junior campaign, Nikki Dysenchuk was named to the 2013 All New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) preseason team as a midfielder. The Darien, Conn., native was the lone Dartmouth player on the team and one of six midfielders selected. Thus far in 2013, the quad-captain has a team-high six goals.

Youth on the Roster
Dartmouth has 13 freshmen on the roster to begin its 2013 campaign. The newcomers make up nearly 31% of the squad. The youth movement is a trend for the Big Green as they also have 10 sophomores on the team. The underclassmen outnumber the upperclassmen 23-19, and total 57.1% of their lineup.

What's on Tap
Following the game with the Colonials, the Big Green travel to Chapel Hill to take on North Carolina at Fetzer Field on March 18 at 4:00 p.m. Dartmouth is looking to avenge a 13-10 road loss to the Tar Heels a year ago.

Schedules