Dartmouth Hosts No. 13 Penn in Ivy League Opener Saturday

Saturday, March 23

Hanover, N.H.

12:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Penn

Photo by: Cayla Fernandes

Dartmouth Hosts No. 13 Penn in Ivy League Opener Saturday

3/22/2024 11:31:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse

Game Notes (PDF)Watch on ESPN+Live Stats Int'l Stream

Big Green and Quakers to square off at Scully-Fahey

By: Justin Lafleur

GAME 8
Dartmouth (3-4, 0-0 Ivy League) vs. Penn (5-3, 1-0 Ivy League)
Dates: Saturday, March 23, 2024 – 12 p.m.
Location: Scully-Fahey Field – Hanover, N.H.
All-Time Series: Penn, 46-27
Watch Live | Live Stats

Setting the Scene
The Dartmouth men's lacrosse team opens Ivy League play on Saturday when the Big Green host 13th ranked Penn at Scully-Fahey Field. Opening faceoff is set for 12 p.m. Dartmouth has alternated wins and losses throughout nonleague play, most recently dropping a 21-9 final at No. 10 Georgetown on Tuesday. With snow in the forecast, fans are advised to be cautious in traveling. For those who do want to attend, admission will be complementary.

The Hoyas jumped out to a 5-0 lead just over six minutes into Tuesday's game before junior Quinn Moore got the Big Green on the board. Trailing 11-3 early in the third quarter, Dartmouth scored four of the next seven goals to pull within 14-7 early in the fourth. However, Georgetown responded with a 6-0 run to take a 20-7 lead, erasing any doubt.

Senior Henry Bonnie and fifth-year Tommy Rogan each posted two goals and an assist to lead the offense. It marked Rogan's second 3-point effort in as many games, after a hat trick in his first action vs. Vermont. Bonnie has had three straight multi-point games and four in the last five for the first time since March of 2022. Senior Nate Davis (one goal, one assist) and junior Brandon Ventarola (two assists) also posted multiple points against the Hoyas.

First-year lone pole Will Cohen finished with three groundballs and a caused turnover, his sixth straight game with a groundball and caused turnover. He's up to 13 GBs and eight caused turnovers on the season, which is tied for second on the team. Fifth-year Mitchell Myers won 10-of-22 faceoffs with six groundballs and a caused turnover. His 57.1 percentage on the season is good for second in the Ivy League and 22nd nationally.

Junior goaltender Mason Morel had an impressive start, making 11 first-half saves, including nine in the second (on 13 shots). He finished with 12 stops on 29 shots before being replaced by first-year Ryan Williamson then junior Collin Kuester.

The Big Green will be eyeing their second straight Ivy League opening victory, after topping Harvard in thrilling fashion, 10-9 in overtime, last March. Saturday will be Dartmouth's first home game since Feb. 24 vs. Holy Cross.

With A Win...
- The Big Green would continue the trend of alternating wins and losses.
- Dartmouth would snap a nine-game losing streak against Penn and beat the Quakers for the first time since Apr. 21, 2012, a 7-6 win at home.
- The Big Green would pull within 46-28 in the all-time series.
- Dartmouth would beat its first nationally-ranked opponent since a 12-11 double overtime win against No. 15/16 Harvard on Mar. 21, 2015.

Last Time Out
WASHINGTON, D.C. (3/19/24) — The Dartmouth men's lacrosse team fell behind 5-0 in the early going and could never recover in a 21-9 loss at 10th-ranked Georgetown on Tuesday afternoon in our nation's capital. Trailing 11-3 early in the third quarter, the Big Green scored four of the next seven goals to pull within 14-7 early in the fourth, but the Hoyas answered with six straight goals to erase any doubt. Senior Henry Bonnie and fifth-year Tommy Rogan each had two goals and an assist to lead the offense.

All-Time vs. Penn
Penn leads the all-time series with Dartmouth, 46-27, which includes nine straight wins. The last Big Green victory came on Apr. 21, 2012 at Penn. There have been some close calls since, including a 10-9 double overtime loss in 2018 (in Hanover) and 16-12 defeat in 2022 (also in Hanover). Dartmouth's last win at Penn came in its 2003 Ivy League Championship season; the Big Green won, 7-5, on Apr. 6.

Scouting Penn
Penn stands 5-3 on the season and 1-0 in the Ivy League. The Quakers own a big 14-12 win at No. 1 Duke, while they opened league play with an 11-6 victory over Brown. Penn is coming off a 12-7 defeat against Saint Joseph's on Tuesday.

Tynan Walsh leads the Quakers in points (26) and assists (13) while Ben Smith's 16 goals lead the team, with his 21 points good for second. In total, five different Penn players have double-figure points. Brendan Lavelle leads the defense in groundballs (27) and caused turnovers (9). A pair of Quakers have taken 60 or more faceoffs, with Mac Eldridge standing at 45.0 percent (27-of-60) and Ethan Costanzo at 43.8 percent (28-of-64). Emmet Carroll has been tremendous in goal, posting a 9.92 goals against average and 60.5 save percentage; the save percentage is good for fourth nationally while his 15.13 saves per game are second. As a team, Penn stands fifth in the country in opponent clear percentage (78.9).

NEILA Rankings
Following its 11-10 win over Vermont on Mar. 14, the Big Green jumped all alone into the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) rankings at No. 8. Dartmouth had been tied for eighth with Vermont on Mar. 11. The Big Green are currently ahead of Vermont, Merrimack, Brown, Sacred Heart and Fairfield, who are all among others receiving votes.

Zappitello Named to USILA National Team of the Week
Sophomore attackman Hopper Zappitello was recognized on the USILA National Team of the Week following his stellar eight-point effort in the Feb. 24 win over Holy Cross. Zappitello scored two goals and dished six assists, the most by a Big Green player since Ben Martin dished seven on Apr. 11, 2017 against UMass Lowell. He was one of just 10 student-athlete recognized across the country and one of only two from the Ivy League.

Paradine Named NEILA Preseason All-New England
Sophomore midfielder Emmett Paradine was recognized by the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association as a member of the preseason All-New England Second Team. Last season's Ivy League Rookie of the Year finished 2023 fourth on the Big Green in points with 27, tied for second in assists (9) and fourth in goals (18).

Johnston, Myers, Davis Named Captains
Dartmouth head men's lacrosse coach Sean Kirwan announced the Big Green captains in January, which included fifth-years Andrew Johnston and Mitchell Myers, and senior Nate Davis. The captains were chosen by their peers.

Four Pick Up Postseason Honors
Following a strong season of progress, four members of the Dartmouth men's lacrosse team were recognized with postseason Ivy League awards. Emmett Paradine was named Rookie of the Year, the Big Green's first Ivy League major award winner since 2007. Senior Mitchell Myers and junior Nate Davis were both named second team All-Ivy while junior Peter Lapina was named Academic All-Ivy.

Paradine becomes Dartmouth's fifth all-time Ivy League major award winner, all being Rookies of the Year. The others were Ari Sussman (2007), Jamie Coffin (2003), Brian Merritt (1994) and Jenkins Marshall (1981).

This also marked the first time Dartmouth had multiple players named first or second team All-Ivy in consecutive seasons since 2005-06. Myers was named to the first team and Daniel Hincks to the second team last season.

Follow Along
Saturday's game can be seen live on ESPN+.

Next Up
After Saturday's contest, the Big Green hit the road to face another nationally-ranked opponent in Princeton next Saturday, Mar. 30.