Ivy League Schedule Starts Saturday at No. 13 Princeton

GAME 7
Dartmouth Big Green (3-3, 0-0 Ivy) vs.
Princeton Tigers (3-3, 0-0 Ivy)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016 – 12 p.m.
Location: Princeton, N.J. – Bedford Field
All-Time Series: Princeton, 26-8-2
Last Time: Sept. 27, 2015 / L, 7-3 (Hanover)

THIS WEEKEND
The Dartmouth field hockey team will open up the Ivy League portion of its 2016 schedule on Saturday at 13th-ranked Princeton.

LAST TIME OUT
The Big Green swept a pair of games last weekend at the expense of Vermont (4-1) and Sacred Heart (3-0). Freshman Carmen Braceras scored a goal in each of the two wins, while adding an assist for a team-leading five points in that stretch. The two victories pulled Dartmouth out of a 1-3 start to the season to even its record through six games.

SCOUTING PRINCETON
The Tigers come into Saturday's game having lost its last two games at No. 14 Virginia (2-0) and at home to No. 6 Maryland (2-1). In six games this season, Princeton has played five ranked opponents, including a 2-1 loss at home to no. 1 North Carolina to open the season. Ryan McCarthy leads the team in scoring with 10 points on four goals and a pair of assists. She shares the team lead in goals along with Sophia Tornetta. Grace Baylis has a 2.58 goals against average and a .667 save percentage.

NOT TOO SHABBY
Princeton has just two Ivy League losses dating back to the start of the 2011 season. The team's last conference defeat came on the road at Columbia on Oct. 3, 2014, with Dartmouth's 2-1 win on Sept. 17, 2011 the last time before that. Princeton's last home loss to an Ancient Eight foe was on Sept. 29, 2007 to Cornell, 4-3. The Tigers have won the Ivy title outright in all but one season since 2005, sharing with Yale in 2011 thanks to Dartmouth's win that season. Princeton has won at least a share of the conference title every year since 1994 with the exception coming in 2004 (Penn and Harvard).

FIRST FOR BIRD
Sophomore Evie Bird scored the first goal of her career Sunday in New Haven against Sacred Heart. Bird knocked in a shot in the 54th minute of play with Braceras getting the helper to give the Green some insurance as it put them up 2-0 on the Pioneers.

SO CLOSE… TWICE
Freshman Emma Plumb was 37 seconds away from her first career shutout against Vermont before Landon Warren spoiled the bid, leaving the Dartmouth keeper to settle with a seven-save win. Plumb then went 55:25 of scoreless action against SHU before being lifted for sophomore Hailey Valerio. Valerio made two remarkable saves to keep the combined shutout intact and giving the Big Green their first blanking of an opponent since a 2-0 win against Penn back on September 29, 2012.

TWICE IS NICE
Braceras was not the only player to notch points in consecutive games last weekend as senior Sarah Tabeek posted assists in each of the team's wins.

TOP-20!
To date, the Big Green are sixth in the nation in saves per game with 9.50, while 14th in save percentage (.760) and 15th in defensive saves (3). The team's 7.83 penalty corners per game also ranks 11th amongst all Division I teams.

HALF THE LEAGUE
Combined, the eight Ivy League programs have posted six defensive saves so far this season. Of those six, Dartmouth's Maddie Donahue, Morgan Philie and Katie Persin hav three, giving the Green and White half of the league's total.

FOLLOW ALONG
Saturday's road game at Princeton will be carried live and in HD on the Ivy League Digital Network. Fans can also follow the action on Twitter by following the team's official account: @DartmouthFH.

WHAT'S AHEAD?
The Big Green have another one-game week ahead, taking on Brown at home on Saturday, Oct. 1 at noon.

Schedules