W. Botters Top Dartmouth, Finish Third in Ivy League

Times can change quickly in the land of Ivy women's soccer.

Dartmouth was tied for first place in the Ivy League on Friday.

But today, the Big Green can kiss their title hopes goodbye.

The Crimson (9-4-1, 5-2-0 Ivy) defeated Dartmouth (9-4-2, 5-1-1 Ivy) on Saturday, 3-1.

Dartmouth simply could not cope with the fiery Crimson.

The Big Green allowed more goals against Harvard (3) in this game than it had against its other six Ivy opponents combined (2).

The only downside to the win was the fact that Harvard, in spite of the win, was still ranked third in the Ivies behind Dartmouth and Cornell.

But the convincing victory over the supposedly powerful Dartmouth squad left several Harvard players feeling that the Crimson, and not the Big Green, was the top term in the Ancient Eight.

"I think that right now, definitely, we are playing better than anyone else in the Ivy League," Co-Captain Amy Weinstein said.

The game itself left no doubt as to who was the better team, as the Crimson exploded for three second half goals to send the Big Green packing.

Dartmouth lived up to its billing as a team with a strong defense and a pathetic offense. The Big green defense, led by their monstrous 6-ft., 1-in. sweeper Kristen Berg, kept the play in Harvard's end of the field. But the Big Green offense, given the chances it had, failed miserably.

Dartmouth's only goal was scored by freshman Mya Mangawang, who took advantage of a miscommunication among the defenders, and beat Crimson goalie Brooke Donahoe one-on-one.

But a decent offense could have done better. Harvard sweeper Erin Matias was, almost singlehandedly, able to shut down the Dartmouth attack.

"They were scrappers, waiting for us to make mistakes," Donahoe said. "They really didn't know how to generate an offense."

The Harvard attack suffered a blow in the first half when junior Laurie Uustal was forced to leave the game with a deep thigh bruise. But Co-Captain Robin Johnston and forward Jen Minkus, both playing in their last game for Harvard, ably picked up the slack.

In the second half, Johnston and Minkus seemed to be everywhere, While Matias and the defense held off the Big Green, Johnston and Minkus relieved the pressure with drive after drive deep into Dartmouth territory.

Johnston tied the score on a penalty kick 15 minutes into the second half. The Big Green defense seemed shaken, and retreated from the charge of the dynamic Crimson front line. Dartmouth's passive play enabled Harvard to seize control of the tempo and begin playing the game on their own terms.

Dartmouth goalie kari Reuter came under siege as Johnston, Minkus, sophomore Laura Flynn, and junior Nicole Parent began slicing through the vaunted Big Green 'D' with relative ease. Finally, with 15 minutes to play, Parent scored the go-ahead goal.

The Big Green panicked, and started sending more players forward to pressure the Crimson defense.

But the Crimson defense rejected every attempt by the Big Green to move the play close to Donahoe in goal.

Sending more players up left fewer back to defend, and Minkus and Johnston wreaked havoc in the Dartmouth backfield. The insurance goal was scored on a rebound by junior midfielder Sharon Olken, after a bullet from Minkus was barely deflected by Reuter.

With the goalie on the ground, Olken easily beat her defender and Harvard was up, 3-1, with two minutes left to play.

"I was very happy with the win," Crimson Coach Tim Wheaton said, "and especially with our second half play. The players said to themselves, 'Hey, I want this,' and they went out there and took it."

"It was an exhilarating victory," freshman midfielder Libby Eynon said.

The win was especially sweet for the four seniors on the team: Johnston, Minkus, Weinstein, and stopper Skyler Vinton.

Pending a berth in the postseason ECAC tournament, the foursome may have played in their last game in a Harvard uniform.

"The game was a good way for the seniors to close out their career," Flynn said. "I'm happy for them."

"It's been a lot of fun," Weinstein said. "And today, today, was just great."

The Crimson will find out if they have won a berth in the ECAC tounament this afternoon.

"The odds are about 50-50," Wheaton said.