Sometimes the 12th man comes through for you, getting into your opponent's head, causing them to make mistakes and spurring you on to greater heights. A team looks forward to home matches because of the mental edge that playing in front of your home crowd gives you as well as the comfort you have of sleeping in your own bed before a big game. For the women's soccer team, however, playing at home created no advantage in its 1-0 loss Saturday afternoon to Dartmouth (6-3-1 overall, 2-0 Ivy League).
The loss was a landmark for the team in many respects. For one, it broke Princeton's (4-4-1, 0-2) six-game home win streak that dated back to last season. It also marks the team's second consecutive conference loss.
"I don't remember the last time we lost two conference games," head coach Julie Shackford said. "I don't know that we've ever lost two before."
The game was a matchup of defenses. Coming into the game, both teams had given up fewer than 10 goals so far this season, and both teams starting goalkeepers have goals-allowed averages under one.
The match began with Dartmouth dominating possession, a trend that continued through the rest of the first half.
Junior captain Diana Matheson actually took the first shot of the game in the fourth minute, but the Big Green successfully neutralized Matheson, using consistent double teams for the rest of the game. Matheson would often work her way out of trouble with her speed and topnotch footwork but found herself without a good option for passing.
After Matheson's early shot, Dartmouth ran the show, threatening to score twice in the first 20 minutes and taking one corner kick.
At the same time the Big Green's offense was revving its engines, the team defense by Dartmouth was extremely effective, stymieing the Tigers' attempts at generating a strong offensive effort. Finally, in the 22nd minute, sophomore midfielder Aarti Jain got a foot off a Matheson cross that was deflected around the post by the Big Green's Melissa Matulich.
Soon after Jain's near miss, Dartmouth was back in the attack, forcing junior goalkeeper Maren Dale to make her first save of the match, though Dale had come up big deflecting crosses and clearing the ball out of the back all game.
Fifteen minutes later, the Big Green capitalized on its next opportunity, scoring in a way that has become all too familiar for Tiger fans. Myra Sack threaded a pass from the right side to teammate Emily Tracy for a soft, arching shot right over Dale for what would be the only score of the match.
Shackford was disappointed in her team's first half effort.
"I thought we got outworked," Shackford said.
At the beginning of the second half, it seemed like the wind might have changed, and Princeton was going to make a comeback, with the Tigers outshooting Dartmouth 5-3 and forcing goalkeeper Amada Webb to make her only two saves of the game.
Princeton's best opportunity for an equalizer came off a cross to sophomore midfielder Sarah Peteraf from freshman forward Vicki Anagnostopoulos. Peteraf pelted a shot from inside the 18 that hit the crossbar and was cleared by the Big Green defense.
Despite the statistical advantage the Tigers had in the second half, their play was not as passionate or as strong as Dartmouth's.
"I don't think we played well," Shackford said. "I just don't think it was a good game for us."
With the loss, Princeton's goal of returning to the NCAA College Cup is looking more and more like a pipe dream. Princeton may still have a shot at the postseason, however, as last season Dartmouth received an at large bid despite its loss to Princeton and an equivalent standing in the league last year.
It only makes Wednesday's game against Rutgers all the more important as Princeton will now most likely have to depend on winning games in the region to go to the NCAA College Cup.
The Tigers will take on the Scarlet Knights at 7 p.m. in New Brunswick. The match will be televised on the Fox Soccer Channel.
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