Big Green Defeat Vermont, 6-0, on Flurry of Second-Half Goals

Sunday, September 13

Hanover, N.H.

1:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Vermont

Big Green Defeat Vermont, 6-0, on Flurry of Second-Half Goals

9/13/2015 3:16:00 PM | Women's Soccer

By: Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. — Holding a 1-0 lead entering the second half, the Dartmouth women's soccer team exploded for five goals in a 17-minute span to run away from visiting Vermont in a 6-0 victory on Sunday afternoon in the Big Green's home opener. Senior Lucille Kozlov and juniors Meredith Gurnee and Jessica Lukas each scored two goals to help Dartmouth (3-1-1) win its second straight game.

The Big Green outshot the Catamounts (2-4-0) by a 16-4 margin, but 12-0 in the second half. Sarah Martin had half of Vermont's shots in the game, but Dartmouth goalkeepers Casey Cousineau and Katie Fuhs did not have to turn away even one in combining for the shutout.

“Vermont did a nice job in keeping us out of rhythm during the first half, but in the second half we were able to punish them for their mistakes,” said head coach Ron Rainey in his second year at the helm of the Big Green program. “Our possessions continued to get better and better throughout the second half, even as we went deeper into our bench, which was nice to see the reserves get a chance to contribute and show what they can do.”

The game was scoreless through most of the first half as the two sides had few scoring opportunities. But when Lukas stole the ball from a defender in Vermont territory, she passed ahead to a streaking Gurnee. The keeper attempted a sliding tackle, only to see Gurnee touch the ball past her, then finish the play with her left foot for her first goal of the year and a 1-0 Dartmouth lead in the 40th minute.

After the intermission the Big Green quickly established control barely five minutes into the stanza. From just inside Vermont territory, Lindsay Knutson headed the ball forward to classmate Melanie Vangel, who one-timed it ahead on a perfect pass to Kozlov. One touch later to beat the sliding keeper, and Kozlov easily put the ball in the back of the net.

From there, the goals came fast and furious. Knutson fired a shot that Vermont keeper Ally Ramos was able to deflect away with a diving stop. But Gurnee was there to corral the loose ball and send it in front of the net to Kozlov who put it away for her second score of the game and team-leading fifth goal of the season.

Gurnee took advantage of a Vermont mistake when she intercepted a pass from Ramos and quickly scored for an unassisted goal, her second tally of the game.

Lukas tallied the first two goals of her collegiate career to cap the scoring. Not even 12 minutes after Kozlov made it 2-0, Vangel set up for one of Dartmouth's nine corner kicks on the afternoon. Her long pass found the head of freshman Lillian Raffetto, and Lukas punched it in before the ball even hit the ground. Just over five minutes later, Lukas took a feed from freshman Lauren Lucas to get past the defense, then avoided the new keeper, Coco Speckmaier, with a quick left foot allowing the ball to roll gently between the posts.

Dartmouth returns to action on Friday evening when it heads to Northeastern for a game that kicks off at 6 p.m. Vermont returns to Burlington to host Marist on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.