Following a six-game losing streak, Big Green field hockey fell 4-3 to the University of Massachusetts Lowell on Oct. 16. Dartmouth now stands 3-10 overall and 0-4 in the Ivy League.
Despite an unfortunate string of losses, forward Emilia Callahan ’25 said the team went into the game with high energy.
“It is a good moment when we are all on the same page,” Callahan said. “We do a team cheer before we head out and it is just unifying.”
Going into Sunday, the Big Green was feeling confident after a close battle with No. 14 Harvard University that ended in a 3-2 loss the previous Friday. Both teams were heading into game day with tough losses to highly ranked opponents — UMass Lowell fell to No. 23 University at Albany.
“We wanted to make sure we were prepared from a mental standpoint to make sure we could match them,” head coach Mark Egner said. “There had been tight affairs [for both teams], so we knew it was going to be a close, close game.”
In preparation for UMass Lowell’s strong offense, the team continued to focus on fast transitions. Callahan said that the team has been experimenting with formations for transition plays throughout the season.
“We changed our formation so we had a new position — half forward, half mid depending on if we were attacking or defending — which definitely really helped us get more forwards into the attack and have quicker transitions,” Callahan said.
The team started strong, with Callahan getting on the scoresheet first — also her first goal of the season — at the beginning of the first quarter. The Riverhawks quickly responded two minutes later with a goal of their own, and in the first few minutes of the third quarter, two more Riverhawks goals gave them a 3-1 lead.
Myah Pease ’23 converted her penalty stroke to a goal for the Big Green bringing them within one. The Riverhawks responded with an insurance goal with a top corner rip at 39:07 in the third quarter. The Big Green kept fighting, bringing the game back to within a point with another goal by Lila Browne ’24 in the final quarter, but were unable to recover.
Despite their loss, head coach Egner said the players’ optimism and spirit contribute to their positive mindsets.
“The girls do a really good job of highlighting the positives in what they see in each other’s performances,” Egner said. “They are screaming and supporting and so enthusiastic on the sideline, which is a credit to who they are as a group.”
According to defender Lauren Devletian ’23, the team will continue working on their weaknesses to secure a strong finish to the end of the regular season in their final few games.
“I was really proud of how we played against Harvard and UMass Lowell,” Devletian said. “Something we need to start working towards is finishing and getting better at maintaining our lead and handling the ball and the pressure that comes with scoring first.”
Both Callahan and Devletian believe the team’s resilient attitude has been highlighted this season, as they treat each game as a fresh opportunity to work towards their first Ivy League win in two seasons. Callahan said the team is excited to head on the road to play their fifth Ivy League game of the season at Columbia University on Friday.
“One of our captains says to us ‘the sky's the limit’ and I know it's a corny thing to say but I think we all truly believe it,” Callahan said. “We are going into Columbia with a lot more confidence and excitement and we are ready to show the Ivy League that we are not just ‘little Dartmouth’ anymore.”
This weekend, Dartmouth will face off against Columbia in New York City followed by a trip to Burlington, Vermont to play the University of Vermont. The games will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday and 12 p.m on Sunday, respectively.
