“Hungry” Big Green Set for Trip to Barcelona Following Season of Progress in 2022
3/13/2023 4:45:00 PM | Field Hockey
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Dartmouth had four student-athletes named All-Ivy in 2022, its most honorees since 2011
By: Justin Lafleur
Positive momentum is building within the Dartmouth field hockey program.
This past fall, the Big Green took significant strides, nearly breaking through on multiple occasions (they lost their final five Ivy League games by a single goal).
The group is excited about the growth, but not satisfied and hungry to take the next step. An incredible opportunity to begin doing just that is on their doorstep as the Big Green are headed to Barcelona, Spain for an international training trip from March 14-22.
It will be an opportunity to grow, on and off the field, with three games scheduled along with other activities such as watching high-level field hockey in Spain, sight-seeing and much more.
"This trip allows us to play extra games against exciting new teams," said Dartmouth head coach Mark Egner. "The quality of competition, the different styles of play and the opportunity to be together before our non-championship segment in April means this trip should provide a great opportunity for us to ramp up for the 2023 season, which will be the first year with an Ivy League postseason tournament."
It's a trip that wouldn't be possible without the support of Friends of Dartmouth Field Hockey. Fans can follow along on the trip in various ways, including a DartmouthSports.com blog, on Instagram, Twitterand Facebook.
To learn about where the Big Green program stands, let's take a look back to the 2022 season…
Season Review
Some of the growth and strides taken within Dartmouth field hockey are visible in statistics and numbers… while a lot is also below the surface.
"When the season ended, there was a feeling that we closed the gap [to the rest of the Ivy League] in a way we didn't feel 12 months prior," said Egner. "About four days after the season ended, we had a quick chat as a team. I asked them in one word to describe how they were feeling at that point.
"There were a couple different words that came up, but one of the words was hungry."
It was the Wednesday after the season ended (via an overtime loss to Penn), and Egner shared to the team how he wanted to be out on the field at practice.
"They said they felt the same way," said Egner. "Coming off the season with the results we had, it would have been really easy for us all to put our sticks down, put them away and not want to be around field hockey. We were still enjoying each other's company and enjoying working hard together.
"All of that speaks to where they are as a group."
Another way that came through in the fall was through the team's coachability.
"While away over Christmas, I did a review of our penalty corners," said Egner. "At different times in the season, we made shifts, and those shifts improved the efficacy of our penalty corner attack and penalty corner defense."
Over the course of the season, the changes paid dividends.
"For us to make those changes and for the changes to work was really cool and something that speaks to the question of where the team is right now," said Egner. "They're receptive, they're bought in, they're dedicated and they're willing to do what's needed."
In the season finale, the Big Green hung tough against a strong Penn program, coming back from down 2-0 late in the third quarter to pull even and force overtime — where they nearly won it on multiple occasions.
"That game was an example of the shift the team has gone through," said Egner. "In the fall of 2021, we struggled to get ourselves back into games, but that [Penn] game is something we wouldn't have been able to do 12 months prior. That comes from confidence in each other and a belief and growth that we're seeing on a technical and tactical nature."
To say the 2022 season had its ups and downs would be an understatement. Early on, the Big Green strung together a three-game winning stream — their longest winning streak since 2007. They also scored goals, especially early on, at a pace they hadn't in a long time. Dartmouth scored 13 goals over its first five games — its most through any five-game stretch since 2018. The Big Green also scored a goal in each of their first seven games for the first time since 2015.
Those are just two examples.
This fall, we scored a goal in each of our first seven games of the season for the first time since 2015.
But then, after a 2-1 win over Merrimack, which improved Dartmouth's record to 3-3, the Big Green struggled. They were in a number of games, but couldn't break through. A 5-2 loss at New Hampshire on Oct. 2 led to a fork in the road.
Egner shared his perspective with the team following that defeat.
"A few years ago, I read a book called 'Culture Code,'" he said. "It talked about how to create a successful or high-performance culture, there needs to be a shared vision and there needs to be connection. The best way to develop connection is share vulnerability. As a leader, we have to model that vulnerability.
"Finishing that UNH game, we sat as a team and I said look, I'm not naïve enough or foolish enough to think have all the answers," Egner continued. "We had a conversation that week where the team shared things they thought would be beneficial and some changes that they thought would help. That was a difficult thing to do as a coach — to say throw your suggestions, throw your questions."
It was an important step, though. The team sat down for an extended time period and shared ideas.
"One of the most powerful things that happened was at the end of the meeting, the student-athletes acknowledged that this is a rarity in college athletics, so they said thank you," said Egner. "I hope they felt they were listened to, and they were heard, and I think it gave everyone renewed energy. We made some changes after that. We had some discussions about the frequency with which we were making substitutions and then we as a staff talked about making some changes from a tactical nature.
"All of those things came at the same time."
The conversation paid off… and it paid off pretty quickly.
After a long bus trip to Princeton that was delayed multiple hours due to traffic, the Big Green weren't able to practice the day before facing the No. 8 Tigers.
"Things don't always go perfectly, so our preparation for the Princeton game was a nine-hour bus trip and a game of tag at a local field rather than a practice session," said Egner. "But our student-athletes walked out on the field the next day and just got at it with a tactical change, in terms of someone playing out of position. They were fluid and flexible as we adapted throughout the game. We changed the front side of our formation three or four times in that game to try to generate an opportunity."
Dartmouth lost to Princeton 1-0, with senior goalkeeper Hatley Post standing tall in making 19 saves — the most in NCAA Division I field hockey up until that point. The Big Green also had a glittering offensive opportunity in the first half to nearly get on the scoreboard.
Throwing it back to Oct. 8 at #8 Princeton when Hatley Post dazzled with a career-high 19 saves, which was the most in NCAA Division I up until that point of the season. Included was a sequence that cracked the @SportsCenter Top 10 Plays of the Day! 🤩⭐️ #TBT | #TheWoods🌲 pic.twitter.com/R0DS8KVN4Y
The game was a clear sign of progress… progress that would continue next time out against No. 15 and reigning Final Four team Harvard.
"I walked into the locker room with the girls and said we're going to do this today and it was a tactical change that we hadn't practiced," said Egner. "It wasn't something we had talked about, but they were adaptable and they went for it. That change led to the goal that put us up one against Harvard."
The Big Green were open to any and all changes.
"We also changed a little bit about what pregame looked like so we could make sure the energy they got by dancing in the locker room came with them onto the field," said Egner. "So in a lot of ways, that week between the UNH and Princeton games became the impetus for us to just go for it and make some changes."
Dartmouth's adjustments led to increased level of play against quality competition. In six of their final seven games, the Big Green lost by a single goal.
It's great to come close, but the student-athletes and coaches weren't, and aren't, satisfied. Was there something holding the program back from breaking through?
"I think the game against Columbia this year (a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in which the Lions scored twice in the final minute) was a real indicator of the pressure we put ourselves under," said Egner. "To come so close but to come short, I think we started to approach those Ivy League games like they were the National Championship Game. It was such a big deal.
"I don't have a doubt that the moment we win one, the flood gates will open and we'll start to have that confidence and belief that we can do it."
That begs the question. How does the program take the next step?
"We need to develop in certain aspects of our play technically," said Egner. "We need to be better in our 1v1 moments, both offensively and defensively, and that's something we're working on this winter. We also need to continue to develop that confidence, which comes from being comfortable with each other, going through difficult things together and knowing that we have each others' backs.
"If we do that and we gain a little bit of run of steam into that first Ivy League game next year, the sky's the limit."
That comfortability piece is where the Barcelona trip can prove extremely beneficial moving into next season, the first season with an Ivy League Field Hockey Tournament (which will see the top four seeds quality).
"It's important to remember to have fun and enjoy the process," said Egner. "Because one of two things could happen. We can either play stress-free, or we could put all that pressure on ourselves because now, not only are we looking for that first Ivy win, but we're also trying to get into the tournament.
"We've got to find a way to chase a difficult thing with a smile on our faces."
SPRING SCHEDULE is out! 🗓️ Mark those calendars and save those dates ✅
