Dartmouth Field Hockey Fall, 3-1, to Harvard in Final Home Game

Saturday, November 1

Hanover, N.H.

1:00 PM

Dartmouth College

HARVARD

Dartmouth Field Hockey Fall, 3-1, to Harvard in Final Home Game

11/1/2014 2:36:00 PM | Field Hockey

By: Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. – The Dartmouth field hockey team was bested by Ivy League rival Harvard, 3-1, Saturday afternoon at Chase Field in the final home game of the 2014 season.

Fighting through the cold, rainy conditions that had settled on the Upper Valley, both teams got off to slow, methodical starts as they were unable to find their scoring touch in the first half.

The Big Green dropped to 5-10 overall this season, while their Ancient Eight record evened at 3-3 with the loss. The Crimson Ivy record also moved to 3-3 after the win, while their overall record improved to 9-7.

Coming out of halftime, there was a stretch of roughly six minutes where three combined goals were scored between the two teams. Harvard's Nicole Painter got things started in the 41st minute, tipping a Hannah Wellington shot past senior goalkeeper Ellen Meyer to break the scoreless tie.

Dartmouth wasted little in evening things up as junior Brooke Van Valkenburg tied the game at 1-1 in the 45th minute of play. Van Valkenburg's shot after a penalty corner appeared to be stopped initially by Harvard's goalkeeper Issy Davies, but the ball bounced up over her leg pad, settling beyond the goal line and in the back corner for the tying marker.

Janine Leger and Anna Ewasechko were credited with the assists.

That euphoric feeling was short-lived as Caitlin Rea scored her first of two straight tallies just 1:36 later to give the visitors the one-goal lead again. Rea added another in the 68th minute to seal the win.

In her final collegiate home game, Meyer went out with a statement, stopping a penalty stroke attempt by Marissa Balleza in the final minute to keep the final score at a two-goal margin.

Meyer finished the game with 10 stops and was aided by defensive saves from Van Valkenburg and Clare Detrick-Yee. At the other end of the field, Davies was credited with four saves in the contest.

Harvard held advantages in both total shots (24-14) and penalty corners (11-9).

Following the conclusion of the game, the Dartmouth field hockey program honored the three seniors who played their final game at Chase Field. Ali Savage joined Meyer and Leger for Senior Day ceremonies at midfield. Rebecca Hu — the fourth member of the Class of 2015 — will be back for another season after being granted a medical redshirt.

The Big Green return to action Sunday afternoon in Durham as they battle Granite State rival UNH at 2 p.m.