Tigers down Ivy rival Big Green

Game-winners are indisputably the most memorable moments in sport. Think of Michael Jordan, and images of him nailing buzzer-beaters come to mind. Think of John Elway, and game-winning, length-of-the-field drives come to mind. Think of Brandi Chastain, and the image that comes to mind is very likely her joyous celebration after her title-clinching penalty goal against China in the 1999 Women's World Cup.

Saturday's game against Dartmouth may have provided that defining image for the 2007 Princeton's women's lacrosse team.

After a heartbreaking loss to No. 3 Penn on Wednesday ended their chances at an Ivy title, No. 15 Princeton (7-5 overall, 3-2 Ivy League) struck back with a 13-9 victory over No. 17 Dartmouth (8-5, 4-3) in a critical matchup for both teams.

"Our win against Dartmouth is exactly the kind of game we've been looking for to put us back on track," junior midfielder Katie Lewis-Lamonica said.

With an at-large bid the only means for either team to make the NCAA tournament, games against other ranked opponents are crucial.

Since both the Tigers and the Big Green are ranked, the question at hand in Hanover, N.H., on Saturday was not "What's at stake?" but rather, "Which team wants it more?"

The answer to this question was clear from the first face-off. Princeton established a 5-1 lead early in the first half, led by senior attack Kathleen Miller, who scored two goals in an 88-second span. Lewis-Lamonica, junior attack Ashley Amo and sophomore midfielder Holly McGarvie also scored during the run.

Dartmouth responded with two goals within 97 seconds, both scored by attack Sarah Szefi. Unfortunately for the Big Green, these would be the only goals of the game for Szefi, the team's second-leading scorer.

After Dartmouth's run, which made the score 5-3 in favor of the Tigers, Princeton regarded control and made sure that a two-goal deficit would be the closest the Big Green would get.

Princeton then scored three straight goals as part of a 4-1 run starting at the 10-minute, nine-second mark and running to the end of the half. Lewis-Lamonica and Miller dominated this run, scoring a combined three goals and assisting on another.

On runs like these, the offensive stars are the ones who get to pad their numbers on the statistics page.

But for almost every extended run, the defense must be given credit. During Princeton's key run going into halftime, the Tigers forced four Big Green turnovers, and Princeton had three successful clears.

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Heading into the second half, Princeton had the luxury of a five-goal lead.

The Big Green came out strong after halftime though, as leading scorer Whitney Douthett scored an unassisted goal nine seconds into the second half.

Sophomore midfielder Kristin Schwab responded to Douthett's score with her sixth goal of the year.

Thirty-seven seconds later, Miller scored her 32nd goal of the year off an assist from Lewis-Lamonica.

With the score 11-5 and more than 26 minutes left in the game, Princeton had its biggest lead of the match. Dartmouth only managed to score two goals over the next 21 minutes as its comeback attempt fell short.

Two ultimately futile goals by Big Green attack Katherine Chiusano in the last minute made the final score 13-9.

The quality win on the road kept Princeton in the hunt for an at-large bid the NCAA tournament.

For Princeton to lock up that bid, the Tigers must now look ahead to their upcoming home matches against Ivy League rivals Columbia and Brown, as well as a huge matchup against No. 2 Maryland in College Park, Md., on May 2.

"We want to play top-tier lacrosse in every game, and that means not just winning but dominating," Lewis-Lamonica said.

If the Tigers end up making the tournament and playing far into the postseason, their crucial win against Dartmouth may become the defining image of the 2007 season.