Laxwomen and Big Green to Meet at Ohiri

Today's Harvard-Dartmouth women's lacrosse game at Ohiri Field can result in another Ivy title for the Crimson--its eighth since 1981.

For the Big Green, it's just a matter of pride.

This game could have turned into a showdown for the Ivy title, but Saturday's snow changed all that. Dartmouth (8-3 overall, 3-2 Ivy League) fought through the flakes but got snowed in by Princeton, 13-7, while Harvard (9-0, 5-0) blizzarded by Cornell, 8-2.

The win assured the Crimson, the nation's second-ranked team, at least a tie for the league title. The Big Green, however, lost its title chances after the loss to the Tigers.

Last year, the Crimson stunned Dartmouth with seven unanswered goals in the first half, capturing a 13-5 victory.

"We controlled the entire game last year," Harvard goalie Kelly Dermody said. "Our team wasn't very impressed with either their offense or their defense."

But the Big Green has made some improvements.

"Their attack has gotten better," Coach Carole Kleinfelder said. "They also have a stronger goalie this year than they did last year."

Still, Brown put 11 goals past Dartmouth--compared to the six the Bruins squeezed by Harvard--and the Big Green lost to Princeton, while the Crimson beat the Tigers, 6-2, during spring break.

Could the Crimson be savoring a win already?

"We can't be overconfident," Co-Captain Lisi Bailliere.

Kleinfelder doesn't see today's game as an open-and-shut case, either.

"I'm not going to think that just because they've lost two games that they're out of the running," Kleinfelder said. "They have a high-power attack and are very motivated to beat Harvard."

Dartmouth is putting all of its faith in offensive powerhouse Anne Moellering. The senior recently set a Dartmouth record for the most points in a season with 52 goals and five assists.

"Anne Moellering--she's really key," Dermody said. "If we can stop her, we can stop the team."

"They have one player that's doing a lot of their work for them," Co-Captain Katie McAnaney said. "But she didn't really give us a problem last year, and we just have to contain her again."

Dartmouth Co-Captain Christina Gates and Holly Allen will also bolster the Big Green attack, but with Harvard dependables like McAnaney, Bailliere, Karen Everling, Char Joslin and Julia French, the Crimson has an edge on shooting power.

Harvard's defense, led by Maggie Vaughan, Cici Clark and Nicole DeHoratius, has shown itself adept at frustrating strong offensive attacks and will concentrate its efforts today on Moellering.

In net, All-Ivy goalie Dermody (.700 save percentage) outranks Big Green netmider Tori Maxmin (.569).

But all the advantages don't change the fact that Dartmouth is out to save a hurting pride.

The Big Green wants blood.

The Big Green really wants this game.

"Dartmouth has always been our big enemy," Bailliere said. "Every year it boils down to Dartmouth."

Which means mind games galore.

"It's going to be really psychological," McAnaney said. "It would be a big coup for them to get back in the race and beat us."

Still, Harvard isn't exactly languishing in the sunshine. And the Crimson doesn't want a dent in its undefeated record, especially not a Big Green one. Harvard also hopes that having the home-field advantage for the first time in three years against Dartmouth will be critical for a victory.

"We've had a few games where we haven't been in synch," Kleinfelder said. "It would be nice to see us pull it together at this particular juncture in our season."

THE NOTEBOOK:Dartmouth has finished second in the Ivy League behind Harvard in 1985 and 1988.