Season Preview: Dartmouth Has High Expectations For 2018

Friday, August 24

Cambridge, Mass.

11:30 AM

Dartmouth College

Harvard (Scrimmage)

Photo by: John and Matt Risley

Season Preview: Dartmouth Has High Expectations For 2018

8/24/2018 10:04:00 AM | Field Hockey

Moving on from a rebuild, Dartmouth plans on making noise this fall.

By: Pat Salvas

HANOVER, N.H. – The Dartmouth field hockey team unofficially starts the 2018 season Friday morning in Cambridge with a preseason contest against Harvard.

That game should be a good measuring stick for head coach Amy Fowler on this year's team that includes five seniors, five juniors, six sophomores and a quartet of rookies in their first season with the team.

A home preseason game against visiting Waterloo on Sunday caps the exhibition slate before the team ventures to Iowa for a pair of games in Iowa City next weekend. The Big Green will take on the Hawkeyes — the alma mater of both Fowler and associate head coach Pattie Gillern — on Friday afternoon before playing Ball State the following day.

Added to the staff this year is former UNH Wildcat Taylor Rideout who spent the last two seasons as an assistant at Siena. Rideout will have a chance to coach against her alma mater as well when Dartmouth heads to Durham for the season's penultimate game on Sunday, Oct. 28.

"We've had a couple rebuilding years and this year's squad is hungry for something more," Fowler said. "They have worked hard for the past year and we feel good about what our incoming freshmen add to the team."

KEYS TO SUCCESS:
1. Confidence
2. Unity
3. Grit

POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN

FORWARDS
The forward group will have seven dedicated players. Junior Katie Spanos was an All-Ivy League Second Team selection last season after leading the team in goals (9), assists (9) and points (27). Gemma Bautista was second on the team in both goals (8) and points (19) and gives Dartmouth some quality returning scoring depth up front.

Junior Jocelyn Wulf as well as sophomores Tatum Schultz, Kira Koehler and Lia Constantine are all back for another season, while freshman Gracyn Campbell is set to join the mix.

Coach Fowler says: "We have high expectations for our experienced attacking unit, which returns two of last year's top scorers, in Katie and Gemma. The line welcomes one rookie, and again will offer some much-needed experienced depth across all seven forwards."

MIDFIELD
In the midfield, Dartmouth will have a wealth of veteran leadership back in 2018. Junior Carmen Braceras has the scoring touch to play forward and the athletic ability to play in the midfield and gives both positions a different look for Fowler and her staff.

Evie Bird is the lone senior in the middle, but is one of the team captains and provides the leadership presence essential for the team in that part of the field. The athletic ability of sophomores Taylor Hantman and Jensen Palmer make their returns valuable to the midfield, while Katie Persin can play both the midfield and on defense. Cecelia Monnin is the position's lone freshman, but, like Persin, the rookie from Charlotte can play both in the midfield and on the backline.

Coach Fowler says: "Our midfield boasts four returners, and a couple younger players who are ready to step in where needed."

DEFENSE
The defense might have the team's best level of depth of any position as two seniors and one junior, sophomore and freshman make of the five true backs. Seniors Jessica Valvano — the team's other captain along with Bird — and Amrit Ahluwalia provide the veteran presence with Maddie Donahue making up the group's third upperclassman.

Sophomore Bee Hollyer and freshman Sara Falkson are the two underclassmen on the defensive end of the field.

GOALKEEPERS
A pair of goalkeepers are on the roster as of the start of preseason camp. Fowler has the two extremes in terms of experience to choose from as senior Hailey Valerio and freshman Isabella Santucci comprise this season's goalies.

Valerio has appeared in a higher number of games each season since her rookie campaign in 2015, culminating in 14 appearances last season with a 3.69 goals against average. In three seasons and 26 games played, she has posted a .700 save percentage as well as a 3.71 GAA. Her 115 saves last season were the third most by a Big Green keeper in the last eight years. Santucci will push Valerio for time as she brings a wealth of high school success.

Coach Fowler says about both the Defense and Goalkeepers: "Each line returns veteran players, so although we need to fill some big shoes left from the graduation of Morgan Philie, Anna Ewasechko and Sarah Tabeek, we probably have some experienced depth this year. Our goalkeepers and backline will need to be stingy in their own end."

SCHEDULE

Opponent	Date	Location	Time
at Iowa	8.31	Iowa City, Iowa	4 PM
vs. Ball State	9.1	Iowa City, Iowa	3:30 PM
VERMONT	9.7	Hanover, N.H.	4 PM
at UMass	9.9	Amherst, Mass.	3 PM
SACRED HEART	9.14	Hanover, N.H.	4 PM
HOLY CROSS	9.16	Hanover, N.H.	1 PM
at Princeton*	9.22	Princeton, N.J.	12 PM
BROWN*	9.29	Hanover, N.H.	12 PM
PENN*	10.6	Hanover, N.H.	12 PM
at Maine	10.9	Orono, Maine	1 PM
YALE*	10.13	Hanover, N.H.	12 PM
NORTHEASTERN	10.14	Hanover, N.H.	1 PM
at Columbia*	10.19	New York, N.Y.	2 PM
at UMass Lowell	10.21	Lowell, Mass.	1:30 PM
HARVARD*	10.27	Hanover, N.H.	1 PM
at New Hampshire	10.28	Durham, N.H.	2 PM
at Cornell*	11.3	Ithaca, N.Y.	11:30 AM