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No. 12 Big Green Opens 2013 Season Saturday Afternoon at Oregon
GAME 1
No. 12/12 Dartmouth (0-0) vs. Oregon (0-0)
▶ Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013 ▶ 3PM (ET) ▶ Eugene, Ore.
▶ Pape Field (1,000)
▶ All-Time Series: 1-0-0 (2nd Meeting)
▶ Last Meeting: Mar. 23, 2011 (Hanover) - W, 12-10
▶ Streak: 1-0-0
▶ THIS
SATURDAY
Saturday afternoon marks the start of the 2013 season for
the Dartmouth women's lacrosse team as it travels west to take on the Oregon
Ducks in Eugene. The Feb. 23 start date is the earliest season opener in
program history for the Big Green as it begins play at 3 p.m. ET (noon local).
▶ 40TH
ANNIVERSARY
When Saturday's game gets underway it will be more than just
the beginning of 2013 for the Dartmouth women's lacrosse team. It will also
mark the start of the 40th season of play for the women's lacrosse program. The
team's first season came back in 1973 and featured just a four-game schedule.
▶ TRI-CAPTAINS
Leading the way this season for the Green and White will be
a trio of seniors. Hana Bowers, Courtney Bennett and Kelsey Johnson will serve
as the three captains picked to lead the team back to its third straight NCAA
Tournament.
▶ ALL-IVY GOALKEEPER
Junior goalkeeper Kristen Giovanniello is back in the circle
for the Big Green in 2013 after earning All-Ivy League Second Team recognition
last spring. In addition to her regular season honors, Giovanniello was the top
player in Dartmouth's postseason run, earning the 2012 Ivy League Tournament
Most Outstanding Player honor in early May in Philadelphia.
▶ ALL-TOURNAMENT
TEAM
In addition to Giovanniello, Bowers and Johnson also return
after being named to the 2012 Ivy League All-Tournament Team. Bowers scored
twice in each win against Cornell and Penn, including the eventual game-winner
against the Quakers that gave the Big Green their first postseason title in
program history. Johnson was a key member in holding the two top offensive
teams in the league to a combined 12 goals in the two outings.
▶ THE OL
SWITCHEROO
A defender in each of the last two seasons, Johnson will make the transition
back to her natural position of midfield for her senior campaign. Making the
move back to defense will be Bennett, who will also play a role in the team's
draw control after losing two of the nation's top draw specialists in Sarah
Plumb and Hilary Smith to graduation last year.
▶ ON THE
FRONT LINE
Losing a combined 76 goals between Plumb and Kirsten
Goldberg, the Big Green's top returning offensive players are Bowers and junior
Lindsay Allard. Both players tied for third on the team in scoring last season
with 29 points. Bowers scored 22 goals and added seven assists, while Allard
had 19 goals and tied Goldberg for second with 10 assists. Junior Liz Calby was
fifth with 25 points (20g-5a), but her 20 goals ranked fourth.
▶ STRENGTH
OF SCHEDULE
Once again Dartmouth will play one of the most challenging
schedules in the country this season. Non-conference games against three teams
ranked in the preseason top-10 highlight the 2013 slate as the Big Green will
square-off with No. 3 Florida (March 9), No. 4 Maryland (April 14) and No. 7
Duke (March 17) this spring. In addition, the team's Ivy League schedule is no
easier as Penn and Cornell are ranked No. 11 and No. 16, respectively, in the
IWLCA Poll. Harvard is No. 16 in the Inside Lacrosse DeBeers Media Poll as
well.
▶ AGAINST
THE DUCKS
Saturday will be just the second meeting all-time between these two programs.
The Ducks made the trip to Hanover during the 2011 season for a March 23
match-up that saw the Big Green come out with a 12-10 victory.
▶ SCOUTING
OREGON
The Ducks were picked second in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Preseason
Coaches' Poll released last month. Oregon is coming off a 2012 campaign that saw
the team claim both the conference regular season and tournament titles and
advance to NCAA Tournament Play-In Game. Overall the Ducks were 14-5 last
season, setting a new program record for wins, while posting a perfect 7-0 mark
in league play. Junior Nikki Puszcz is the team's top returner from a season
ago with 57 points (39g-18a), while junior goalkeeper Caroline Federighi is
back after posting a 9.15 goals-against average and a .502 save percentage in
19 games played (14-4) in 2012.
▶ BENCH BOSS
Head
coach Amy Patton is back on the Dartmouth sidelines for her 21st season in
2013. Patton has led the team to nine Ivy League titles and 12 NCAA Tournaments
in her time in Hanover. The all-time winningest coach in program history
(221-103, .682 Win%), Patton has led the team to 10 or more victories in 16
seasons, including 12 last spring.
▶ NEW FACES
Patton
has added two new assistant coaches to her staff this season. Morgan Kelly will
serve as the program's recruiting coordinator and top assistant after two years
in a similar role with George Mason. She is a 2010 graduate of James Madison
where she was a nationally recognized goalkeeper. Whit Hagerman comes to
Dartmouth after a five-year playing career with Virginia from 2005-10. Most
recently, Hagerman held the position of lacrosse and field hockey assistant
coach at Choate Academy in Wallingford, Conn. Also added back on staff in a
volunteer role is former assistant Christine Anneberg.
▶ EVEN CLASSES
The 2013 Big Green roster features a solid balance of 14 upper and
lowerclassmen. In fact, all four classes feature seven players apiece for a
team roster size of 28.
▶ THREE IN A ROW?
The Green and White will once again look to get back to the NCAA Tournament in
2013 after qualifying in each of the last two years. Over a nine-season stretch
from 1998 to 2006, Dartmouth failed to make the national postseason just once
(2002), putting together two separate streaks of four consecutive appearances.
Those two runs of excellence (1998-2001 and 2003-06) mark the only time the
team has gone to the NCAA Tournament in three straight years.
▶ HOME
COOKING
The Big Green were a perfect 7-0 last season at home at Scully-Fahey Field. In
2011, the team was 8-0 on its home field during the regular season, but lost to
Albany in the NCAA Tournament on May 15. The last regular season home loss for
Dartmouth was April 17, 2010 against Penn.
▶ WHAT'S
NEXT?
Following the season opener with the Ducks, the Green will
return home to face in-state rival New Hampshire Wednesday (Feb. 27) at home.
Game time with the Wildcats is set for 3 p.m.
