Field hockey beats Dartmouth, proves mettle in Ivy League

The field hockey team took another small step towards success, improving upon a marginal win last week against Yale.

The Tigers (4-1 overall, 2-0 Ivy League) maintained their course for a tenth consecutive Ivy League title by beating Dartmouth (0-3, 0-2), 5-1, on Saturday in Hanover, N.H.

The win was an important one, sending a message to the rest of the Ivy League that last week's near-collapse against Yale, where the Tigers escaped with a 5-4 overtime win only after allowing the Elis to storm back, was a fluke.

This time, Princeton once again gained a large lead, but never let the Big Green come back.

It was the Tigers' first Ivy League game away from home, and things started out a bit slowly on the offensive end, despite the fact that they were in full control of the game.

Although Dartmouth did not even muster a shot in the first half, it took the Tigers a lengthy 24 minutes to score their first goal. Junior attack Lauren Quinn netted the unassisted goal off a rebound on a penalty corner play.

"Dartmouth was our first big away game," sophomore attack Lauren Ehrlichman said. "I know its not a good excuse, but whenever you have a change of venue, it takes a while to get into a rhythm. I think we were a little nervous at first."

Once their first goal was out of the way, the Tigers began to capitalize on more offensive opportunities.

Three minutes after Quinn's goal, junior attack Ashley Sennett took a pass from a midfielder, and brought the ball into the Dartmouth circle. With pressure from a Dartmouth defender and the goalie pushing her out of the circle, Sennett flipped the ball over to Ehrlichman, who placed the ball into the back of the open net for a 2-0 lead.

Ehrlichman's goal would prove to be the last of a completely Tiger-dominated first half. Princeton took 12 shots while Dartmouth managed none. The Tigers also held a 6-0 advantage on penalty corners earned, as they shut down the Dartmouth offense with pressure from all positions.

"Most people think of defense as a function of the backs," Ehrlichman said. "But the backs, mids, and attacks all played a role in shutting Dartmouth down. Everyone did a great job of putting immediate pressure the second they got the ball. They play a big ball game, meaning they like to pass long out to their forwards. When you cover the passing lanes as we did, it makes it hard for them to follow their game plan." In the second half, Dartmouth managed to create a few opportunities on offense, taking seven shots in the half. The Tigers' offense continued its strong finish to the first half.

Senior midfielder Claire Miller scored three minutes into the second half off an assist from Quinn to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead.

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After senior midfielder Cory Picketts added another goal, the Big Green's Lexie Otto put Dartmouth on the board, firing a loose ball into the goal with eight minutes left to play.

Junior defender Kelly Darling scored her first goal of the season with five minutes, 10 seconds left to put the game away.

Once again, the Tigers showed a very balanced attack, with five different players scoring the five Princeton goals. The key to the game was shutting down Dartmouth's offensive strategy with heavy pressure from all the players.

Princeton's schedule next takes it to College Park, Md., where the Tigers will take on No. 3 Maryland. The game will give a good idea of how the Tigers will stack up against top teams in the NCAA.

But before they get there, the Tigers must continue their winning ways in the Ivy League. Princeton seems to be improving game by game, and hopes to be at the top of its game in mid-October, when it faces its top Ivy League rivals, Harvard and Brown.