The Dartmouth Sports Weekly 09/11/17

09.11.17

Women’s rugby upsets No. 1 Quinnipiac University p. 8

Cross-country teams find early season success p. 4

One-on-one with Bruce Wood of Big Green Alert p. 7

Men’s soccer faces strong opponents in opening games p. 5

The Weekend Roundup p. 2-3

EVAN MORGAN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

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THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY

The weekend Roundup

MEN’S SOCCER

RUGBY

Compiled by EVAN MORGAN & CHRIS SHIM

Dartmouth made a statement with a 22-17 win over two-time defending national champion Quinnipiac University. The Big Green applied consistent pressure in the first half, and much of the action occurred close to the Bobcat try-line.

Frankie Sands ’18 opened the scoring with a try in the 10th minute and added another try in the 31st minute. On the ensuing kickoff, Lilly Durbin ’21 scored the Big Green’s third try of the half and the home team went into the break ahead 15-0.

Quinnipiac scored and converted a try to open the second half, lowering Dartmouth’s lead to eight. The Big Green struck back, however, and consistent pressure in the attacking third led to a try by Idia Ihensekhien ’21 in the 54th minute. With the Kat Ramage ’19 conversion, the Dartmouth lead was back to 15. Quinnipiac continued to threaten Dartmouth, scoring tries in the 66th and 75th minutes, but ultimately, the Dartmouth defense preserved the upset.

Men’s soccer opened the season by dropping a pair of 1-0 games in the Wolverine State. The first loss came at the hands of No. 13 Michigan State University, a team that reached the NCAA tournament last season. The Spartans’ DeJuan Jones scored the only goal of the contest in the 36th minute. The Big Green’s Tiger Graham ’21 led the team with three shots, while Wyatt Omsberg ’18 and Eduvie Ikoba ’19 had two apiece.

Three days later, Dartmouth was shut out in Ann Arbor. The University of Michigan’s Francis

Atuahene scored the lone goal as the Wolverines outshot the Big Green 18-6. Dartmouth traveled to Hartford University on Sept. 8 and got its first win of the season, a 1-0 overtime victory.

Matt Ranieri ’21 netted the game winner, heading a Justin Donawa ’19 cross into the back of the net.

Henry Stusnick ’20 started in goal against Michigan State, surrendering a goal to the Spartans before yielding to Christopher Palacios ’21 at halftime. Palacios got the start in the next two games and recorded four saves against Michigan and one against

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

Sailing The weekend was highlighted by the women’s team’s second-place overall finish in the Toni Deutsch Trophy, hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The sailors manned FJs and Fireflies in a northerly breeze, with the 16 teams completing 15 races in each division. The Big Green finished in the top five in 18 races, winning four races in the B division.

The coed team sailed under a steady north wind at the Harry H. Anderson Jr. Trophy, hosted by perennial powerhouse Yale

University. On the first day, the 16 teams ran nine races in the A division and 10 in the B division. Dartmouth opened strong and was as high as first place before several low finishes dropped the Big Green down to sixth. Despite strong finishes at the end of the second day, the Big Green finished the weekend in eighth place.

Dartmouth placed ninth in a field of 15 at Maine Maritime’s Penobscot Bay Regatta. The Big Green finished in the top half in fewer than half of the 16 races.

EVAN MORGAN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

The women’s rugby team celebrated a 22-17 win over defending national champion Quinnipiac University.

FIELD HOCKEY Ray Lu ’18 Editor-in-Chief

Philip Rasansky ’18 Publisher

Kourtney Kawano ’18 Executive Editor

09.11.17 Vol. CLXXIV No. 104

Evan Morgan ’19 Chris Shim ’18 Sports Editors

Nathan Albrinck ’20 Associate Sports Editor Eliza McDonough ’18 Hollye Swinehart ’18 Tiffany Zhai ’18 Photography Editors

The Big Green opened the season on Sept.

1 in Newark, Delaware. The team faced a stiff challenge in defending national champion University of Delaware, fresh off a loss to the University of Louisville — the Blue Hens’ first defeat since last September. Then-No. 3 Delaware proved too much for the Big Green to handle, as the Big Green surrendered six goals in the first period and three more in the second. Evie Bird ’19 netted Dartmouth’s only goal of the game in the 68th minute. The Big Green remained in Newark to face Longwood University. Dartmouth’s only goal of the contest came from Gemma Bautista ’19, the second of her college career. But it came late in the game with the Big Green already down by four goals. Longwood added a final tally in the 68th minute, bringing the final score to 5-1.

Home turf proved kinder to the Big Green.

Dartmouth got a 4-3 win in its home opener against Rider University. The Big Green outshot the Broncs 19-18, and shots from Bird and Carmen Braceras ’20 found the back of the net in the first half. In the second half, Jocelyn Wulf ’20 and Tatum Schultz ’21 each scored their first career goal, and Dartmouth held on for the win.

Dartmouth completed its weekend sweep with a 7-2 victory against Bryant University at home. Senior captain Morgan Philie ’18 scored two goals, while Katie Spanos ’20 netted one goal and two assists. Bautista, Katie Persin ’20, Kira Koehler ’21 and Amrit Ahluwalia ’19 also each tallied one goal. Hailey Valerio ’19 spent the entire 70 minutes in goal, picking up her second win of the year.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

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THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY

CROSS COUNTRY The men’s and women’s cross country teams opened the season with an easy victory in the Maribel Sanchez Souther Invitational. T he field — which in the past featured Northeast competitors like Middlebury College, Keene State University and Bentley University — only included runners from Dartmouth and the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Both Big Green teams won the meet for the fourth consecutive year.

Dartmouth took seven of the top eight spots in the men’s race, led by Patrick

EVAN MORGAN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

The Big Green raced to victory at the Maribel Sanchez Souther Invitational held at the Hanover Country Club.

volleyball The 2017 season began on a low note for the Big Green volleyball team, which opened the fall play at the Cal Classic in Berkeley, California.

In a 3-0 loss to the University of California, the Bears hit .419 as a team, their highest percentage in four years, while Dartmouth hit just -.087.

Sara Lindquist ’18 led the team with four kills as Dartmouth fell 14-25, 14-25, 7-25. Facing Texas Tech University and Eastern Washington University on the second day of the tournament, the Big Green went 1-1. Dartmouth fell to the Red Raiders in straight sets, the tightest finish being the 25-20 second set. Tori Dozier ’20 had 25 of the team’s 28 assists. Against the Eagles, the Big Green picked up its first win of the season in dramatic fashion. Dartmouth won the first and fourth sets to set up a decisive fifth frame, where the team jumped out into an early lead and clinched the game win with a 15-8 triumph.

The Big Green hosted the Dartmouth Invitational over the weekend, facing Syracuse

University, Iona College and Sacred Heart University. The Big Green started strong against Syracuse, never trailing en route to a 25-22 win in the first set. But the next three sets went to the Orange to give the visitors a 3-1 win. Dartmouth rebounded against Iona, hitting 0.251 as a team to earn a 3-1 victory. Dozier stood out again, earning a double-double with 33 assists and 14 digs. The Big Green closed out the tournament with a five-set thriller. Dartmouth played catch-up all the way through the first set, eventually losing, then coming back in the second set to even things up. Sacred Heart dealt Dartmouth a 25-10 defeat in the third set, but the Big Green regrouped in the fourth frame to tie the game once more. The fifth set was tight, as the score was tied on eight separate occasions. Finally, a Sacred Heart error broke a 14-14 tie, and a Mallen Bischoff ’21 kill sealed the deal. With one tournament remaining before league play begins, Dartmouth sits at 3-3 overall.

EVAN MORGAN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

Women’s volleyball defeated Iona University and Sacred Heart University over the weekend, winning all three matches this weekend.

Gregory ’18, who ran the 8-kilometer course in 24:56.82.

Following Gregory were Patrick O’Brien ’21, Sander Kushen ’19, Ben Matejka ’21 and Sean Laverty ’20. One Lowell runner dropped out midway through the men’s race, making the River Hawks ineligible to score.

On the women’s side, the top 19 finishers all wore the green and white. Olivia Lantz ’19 finished the 6-km route in 21:33.15, good enough for first place. Ella Ketchum ’21, Glennis Murphy ’21, Bridget O’Neill ’18 and Bridget Flynn ’18 rounded out the top five.

MEN’S Tennis Men’s tennis opened its season at the Silverado Invitational on Friday in Napa Valley, California.

On the first day of game play, the Big Green lost a pair of doubles matches to San Diego University. However, in singles

play, Ciro Riccardi ’18, David Horneffer ’20, Max Fliegner ’18 and Charlie Broom ’20 all picked up wins against the University of Hawaii. The results from the second and third days were not available as of press time.

WOMEN’S SOCCER The Big Green kicked off the 2017 season with a two-game homestand. The season-opener against Florida International University was scoreless until well after halftime. In the 78th minute, Lauren Lucas ’19 received a ball from Bianca Ribi ’18, turned and shot the game-winner through the legs of a defender. Two days later, Dartmouth faced Stony Brook University. A Remy Borinsky ’19 penalty kick in the 29th minute put the Big Green up 1-0, and in the 69th minute, Ribi put a shot in the lower left corner to make it 2-0. A late Stony Brook shot went in off the hands of keeper Mariel Gordon ’21, but Dartmouth’s held on for the 2-1 win.

The next two games took the Big Green to California. Facing No. 25 Long Beach State on Sept. 1, Dartmouth was shut out 1-0. The 49ers outshot the Big Green 14-9, scoring the game-winner off the crossbar in the 54th minute. In Malibu two days later, Pepperdine University rolled over the Big Green 3-0. The Waves got out front early with a penalty kick in the 11th minute. Just before halftime, Pepperdine’s Brie Welch scored from the right side of the box to make

it 2-0. The Waves tacked on an insurance goal in the 73rd minute.

Four days later, Dartmouth was on the other end of a 3-0 result. The University of Albany outshot the Big Green 11-7, but Dartmouth made its opportunities count, scoring early in both halves. In the second minute, Borinsky put the Big Green up 1-0. Then in the 46th minute, Alyssa Neuberger ’20 sunk a shot from 15 yards out. Neuberger added another goal later in the period as the Big Green cruised to victory.

The Big Green closed out its weekend with a 4-2 victory over Quinnipiac University at home. The Big Green put four in the net within the first 26 minutes, including two from Ribi. Brittany Champagne ’18 and Remy Borinsky ’19 also contributed goals. Borinsky also contributed an assist.

Q u i n n i p i a c re b o u n d e d i n the second half, led by junior Nadya Gill, who scored two goals, including one from a penalty kick.

Gordon started all five games in net, playing nearly all of the first five contests. She let in seven shots and saved 22 for a save percentage of .759.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

Cross-country teams earn perfect scores at annual home opener

By CODY FUJII

The Dartmouth Staff

The men’s and women’s cross country teams dominated during their annual home opener last Saturday against the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Both teams swept the first five places in their respective races at the Hanover Country Club.

Formerly named the Dartmouth Invitational, this year’s edition was the first with a new name. Barry Harwick ’77, the head coach of the men’s cross country program, initiated the idea of naming the invitational after Maribel Sanchez Souther ’96, a former coach and student-athlete for the women’s cross country team who passed away last December after a long battle with breast cancer.

Souther was an exceptional member of the women’s cross country team during her time at Dartmouth, garnering four AllAmerican honors and seven Ivy League Championships. Souther was the first Dartmouth female runner to finish as an All-American in cross country.

Four years after graduating, Souther pursued a professional career in running and qualified for the 2000 Olympic Trials. However, injury rendered her unable to compete.

She returned to Dartmouth in 2002 as an assistant coach for the women’s cross country team. She became head coach a year later and remained in that position until she stepped down in 2010.

Those who knew Souther noted her excellent character as well as her athletic achievements during her time at Dartmouth.

“She was a great teammate, she was a wonderful person and always cared about other people,” Harwick said. “And she carried that over into her coaching as well.”

The women’s team honored Souther’s athletic excellence by achieving a perfect score during the meet. The women’s team posted a score of 15 points to UMass Lowell’s score of 50 points.

Leading the way for the women’s team during the meet was Olivia Lantz ’19, who took the individual title with a time of 21:33.15. Ella Ketchum ’21 was a close second, finishing the 6-kilometer course in 21:38.56.

The next three spots were occupied by Glennis Murphy ’21, Bridget O’Neill ’18 and Bridget Flynn ’18 in 22:00.01, 22:09.12 and 22:11.95 respectively. At the end of the day, the Big Green took the first 19 places.

“It was a good opportunity to get our team to mesh together after being separated during the

summer,” Lantz said. “We knew that running on our home course can be a little tricky, but the fact we know the course well is advantageous.”

T he men’s team achieved similarly impressive results to the women’s team, posting a score of 15 points.

Pat Gregor y ’18 was the first finisher for the Big Green, completing the 8-km course in 24:56.82. Patrick O’Brien ’21 placed second with a time of 25:10.89 in his Big Green debut.

The next three finishers were, in order, Sander Kushen ’19 (25:24.30), Benjamin Matejka ’21 (25:24.82) and Sean Laverty ’20 (25:36.25).

T h e m e n’s a n d w o m e n’s teams have both won their first invitational meets since 2014.

The teams made sure to honor Souther’s legacy during the meet, holding a reception after the races to commemorate Souther and her contributions to the Dartmouth

program. “[Souther’s] husband and three children were here as well as a lot of other family members,” head coach of the women’s cross country team Courtney Jaworski said. “It was nice to reflect after the meet with everyone present.”

The coaches and players aim to expand the Maribel Sanchez Souther Invitational in the future.

“One of our goals going forward is to make it a larger event both to commemorate [Souther] and also to make it a more competitive meet for the students,” Harwick said.

The meet served as a good rustbuster for the season to come.

“It’s great to have a calm, lowkey meet at home to get a feel for cross country racing again,” Lantz said. “I’m really excited for what’s to come, we have a strong group of girls who work well together.”

Both teams will retur n to competition on Friday, Sept. 22 at Boston College Invitational at Franklin Park in Boston, Mass.

EVAN MORGAN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

The women’s cross country team earned a perfect score at this weekend’s meet.

EVAN MORGAN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

Dominating the home opener against the University of Massachusetts Lowell, the men’s cross country team posted a perfect score of 15.

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Men’s soccer drops first two games against tough opponents

By DANIELLE OKONTA The Dartmouth Staff

Dartmouth men’s soccer began its season with two big-time opponents: No. 13 Michigan State University on Sept. 1 and the University of Michigan on Sept. 4. The Big Green suffered a pair of 1-0 losses in what team members knew would be tough matchups.

Both Michigan teams were able to contain Dartmouth’s offense.

The Spartans, who returned the core of last year’s NCAA tournament team, matched the Big Green shot for shot. Both teams took nine apiece, but only one connected: a four-yard chip-in from Michigan State’s DeJuan Jones.

“We let in a goal at the end of the first half, and we couldn’t find a way to break them down despite

our better chances with this team,” midfielder Justin Donawa ’19 said.

Against Michigan, a team ranked just outside the top 25, the Wolverines took 18 shots to the Big Green’s six. In the end, Dartmouth’s own defensive mistake proved critical.

“We were able to hold our ground defensively for most of the game, and then we let in a late goal in the 82nd minute,” Donawa said. “We didn’t have much time to respond despite our best efforts.”

At both games, the Big Green faced home crowds which exceed the average attendance at Burnham Field. Officially, the Michigan State game — the Spartans’ home opener — brought out 3,515 fans.

Midfielder and team co-captain Matt Danilack ’18 noted that it is routine to play top-tier teams at

the start of the season because it introduces the team to challenging matchups that prepare them for bigger games later in the season.

“We want to schedule our out-ofconference opponents for the first few games of the season because it tests the character of the team from the beginning,” Danilack said. “We learn a lot about our team in the process, and in the end that’s enough to get us excited for the rest of the season.”

Preseason All-American defender and team co-captain Wyatt Omsberg ’18 had a few pointers to help the team going forward.

“We need to be a little bit sharper in our own two-thirds of the field, play more aggressively and avoid limiting our chances,” Omsberg said. “As the season goes on, I believe we will definitely be able to

accomplish this.”

Taking close losses early in the season has allowed the players to reflect on what the outcomes reveal about the team’s potential.

“When we see these 1-0 losses we know what we are capable of,” Donawa said. “We can compete with these teams and beat these teams.

Looking at the outcome of the game early in the season, I believe that later in the season this matchup or similar ones may end in victory for us.”

The opening losses are part of the larger arc of the past three seasons, during which the team has won three Ivy League Championships and advanced as far as the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Big Green players are focused on what it will take to keep the league title in Hanover for a fourth-straight

year.

“I want to be able to play the best game that I can from the back [defensively], protect our goal and help the team win,” Omsberg said.

Danilack, the senior All-Ivy midfielder, also has leadership on his mind.

“Our three principles are brotherhood, legacy and sacrifice,” Danilack said. “Brotherhood is the core of it all and helps set the foundation for our team.”

Over the weekend, Dartmouth earned its first victory of the season, a 1-0 overtime win over Hartford University. Defender Matt Ranieri ’21 scored his first collegiate goal, assisted by Donawa and Eduvie Ikoba ’19. This Tuesday, the Big Green returns to Burnham to play the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

ONE ON ONE

with Bruce Wood

By MARK CUI The Dartmouth Senior Staff

Veteran jour nalist Bruce Wo o d h a s c ove re d U p p e r Valley sports since 1979, first as a reporter for the Valley News, later in Dartmouth’s sports information office and since 2005 as the man behind the Big Green Alert blog. On his site, Wood details every Dartmouth football practice and game, publishing at least one full-length story daily from preseason to the final game. The Dartmouth sat down with Wood to discuss his relationship with the Big Green and preview the 2017 season.

What inspired you to form Big Green Alert?

BW: After I did it for the first year, I got an email from a Dartmouth parent. His father, the grandfather for a Dartmouth player, had read about the first Dartmouth game in the China Sea on a cruise ship. That confirmed to me that I was

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THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY

onto something. Newspapers are great, but they take a day to get the news out. Or if you get it in the mail, it could take five days to a week. Here was a guy on the other side of the world reading about Dartmouth football within hours. It’s all about the internet now, and it’s so much faster.

Why football and what about the game of football do you particularly enjoy covering?

BW: I’m a baseball guy, but football is Dartmouth’s historical sport. I had a greater potential for a larger audience. Also, there’s only 10 games and five road trips.

In comparison to baseball and hockey, the season runs four to five months long and games are in the middle of the winter — from a practical standpoint it wouldn’t work. The hardest part of being a freelance writer is just finding the work. Covering Dartmouth football gives me full-time work for close to four months. I also know Coach Buddy Teevens ’79 very well, and we have continued to have a good relationship.

What’s been some of your favorite moments to cover?

BW: The successes are the favorites.

I covered the 1996 undefeated team, and that was fabulous. Obviously the Ivy League Championship two years ago as well. I covered Dartmouth when it was both winless and undefeated. Even when the team has struggled, I appreciate everything that the players and coaches dedicated to the season.

It’s hard to cover the team when it struggled, but there’s something special about the way it sticks through it. Every season is different and special. It’s been a good run.

Dartmouth shared the Ivy League title two seasons ago.

What was it like covering that team and what do you think made that team so good?

BW: Dartmouth had been building for a long time. They brought in a couple of defensive and offensive coordinators, terrific guys who have been around the Ivy League for a long time. You had a great quarterback in Dalyn Williams ’16.

In terms of a college quarterback, he was every bit as a good as Jay Fiedler ’94 was. You had a lot of guys who had played together from sophomore season on, and they had experience together as a group. We could all feel it building, and we all

knew that the team was very good and had a shot at the championship.

Last year, the Big Green had a down year and finished 1-6 in the Ivy League. How do you think the team stacks up against the rest of the Ivy League this year?

BW: Last year, there were a lot of very close games, and that season could’ve turned out dramatically different. They were missing very key components defensively, and there was a lot of young players getting playing time. The defensive line has returned three players who will be significant contributors this year who did not play at all last year. Teevens said that the team is ready to enter with a sharpened edge. They’re being picked to finish fourth, fifth or sixth in the Ivy League. That has really sharpened the edge. This is an impossible league to predict.

Princeton University, Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania are up there, but I’d be surprised if Dartmouth isn’t competing.

Who are some players to watch for this year?

BW: On offense, you always have to take a look at the quarterback, Jack Heneghan ’18. He’s a terrific

leader. In addition, Ivy League Rookie of the Year Hunter Hagdorn ’20 is a player to watch.

You have to watch the offensive line. That’s the big question on offense. Stephen Johnston ’18 is a terrific tight end. Defensively, the secondary and linebackers returned a bunch of people.

Defensive line is another to watch as well. Jackson Perry ’19 only played a quarter last year.

He’s back, healthy and ready for a breakout season. If the defensive line can get pressure on the quarterback, that will make a big impact.

Anything else to add?

BW: Doing Big Green Alert has been a real pleasure because of the kids, the coaches and the Dartmouth administration. They trust that I will do things the right way. There isn’t a football league in the country with the day-to-day coverage that I give Dartmouth. I have complete access in the trust of people that I will report honestly but won’t divulge any secrets. I just wish I had a few more subscribers, that’s all. It’s been a wonderful thing, and I’ve been very appreciative.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

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SPORTS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

TODAY’S LINEUP

NO ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULED

Rugby team upsets two-time defending national champion Quinnipiac University

By EVAN MORGAN

The Dartmouth Senior Staff

Big Green rugby has arrived.

That’s what the team announced Saturday with a 22-17 upset of two-time defending national champion Quinnipiac University.

For Dartmouth, a team that has won two straight Ivy League titles but has been eluded by national success, the win announced its championship intentions.

The crowd on hand Saturday filled the deck of the Corey Ford Rugby Clubhouse and carpeted the grass slope above the pitch. A week earlier, the Big Green had scrimmaged Pennsylvania State University, last year’s club national champion, and won 46-17. That effort was the culmination of a preseason’s worth of work.

“We’ve been on campus for about a month for preseason,” Frankie Sands ’18 said. “We practiced five days a week with four lifts a week, so we’ve been out here every day grinding, and when we weren’t practicing, we were recovering.”

The crowd had plenty to cheer during the first half, in which Dartmouth dominated Quinnipiac on the wings and in set pieces.

Consistent Big Green pressure forced the Bobcats to spend much of the opening frame defending their own end.

“We’ve talked a lot about our territory game and about how important it is to spend as much time as possible in that area of the field,” head coach Katie Dowty said. “What allowed us to do that is a lot of work on our kicking game, and we also put a lot of focus on our set pieces and we played very aggressive defense.”

Sands, the Sorensen Award finalist who has been a standout since transferring from Norwich University a year ago, drew first blood for Dartmouth.

In the 10th minute, a breakdown just in front of the try zone gave the Big Green its first scoring opportunity. The ball was passed to scrumhalf Kat Ramage ’19, who passed it blind to Sands to go in for an easy try.

Sands would make it 10-0 with another try in the 31st minute.

Center Lilly Durbin ’21 threw a

bounce pass out to Sands, and Sands beat the Quinnipiac wing to the try zone.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Big Green took control again. Durbin punched in a try in the 34th minute after a Dartmouth quick possession that spanned just three phases of play.

The Bobcats appeared to be on their back foot for most of the half.

Part of Dartmouth’s success came from aggressive play in the ruck.

“We have this play called ‘fire,’ where we’re on defense, but we’re basically firing in the ruck and putting as many players in there as necessary,” co-captain Morgan McGonagle ’18 said.

The aggression forced Quinnipiac to advance the ball by kicking, an area of the game in which the Bobcats are not as strong as the Big Green.

“You could see the pressure as the half went on, where they were just kicking out of their half in order to get into our half,” Sands said. “It was an incredible feeling to know that we were putting these two-time national champions under so much pressure that the only thing they were able to do was kick.”

But the defending champions would not go down without a fight. The Bobcats’ Emily Roskopf scored and converted a try in the 47th minute, bringing the deficit to eight.

Dartmouth punched back after the kickoff. As it did for much of the first half, the Big Green kept up the pressure in its attacking third. Dartmouth’s forward pack launched a series of powerful phases of play on the tryline, and finally Idia Ihensekhien ’21 punched in a try. With a conversion from Ramage, Dartmouth took a 22-7 lead.

Late in the game, however, Dartmouth settled into a more defensive posture. After losing a player to a yellow card, the Big Green stepped back in the second half, according to McGonagle.

At the same time, Quinnipiac seemed to regain a bit of an edge.

The Bobcats punched in a try in the 66th minute and added another in the 75th minute. That brought the score to 22-17. Another Bobcat try would tie the match, and a conversion would give Quinnipiac

EVAN MORGAN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

Dartmouth scored three tries in the first half en route to a 22-17 win against Quinnipiac University.

the victory.

“At that point, we were feeling it,” Sands said. “I looked to my coach, and she looked back at me and said, “[Sands], there’s seven minutes left.” And I said, ‘You’re right, there’s seven minutes left,’ and I looked at everyone else, and I said, ‘Ball security, guys.’”

Defense has been a point of strength for the Dartmouth program, and as the minutes ticked away, the Big Green defense held. The referee’s watch went off.

Flyhalf Camille Johnson ’19 took hold of the ball and kicked away, and the game was won.

Several members of Dartmouth’s

latest recruiting class flashed their skills on Saturday. Durbin and Ihensekhien each scored their first collegiate try. Ihensekhien and Rylee Stone ’21, both tight five forwards, were key in Dartmouth’s dominance of set pieces in the first half.

“That’s a really important thing when you’re talking about creating an attacking platform or winning possessions,” Dowty said. “That allowed us to have our strengths out wide shine even more.”

Dartmouth has another difficult test to come. The U.S. Military Academy, its next opponent, was ranked third in the preseason

National Intercollegiate Rugby Association coaches’ poll. But with the statement win against the Bobcats, who were ranked first in the country and had not lost a 15s game in two seasons, the Big Green feels confident.

“The past couple years, the team has been building and building, and we have this really good energy, because it feels like we can break through the top teams,” McGonagle said.

After the game, one fan put it differently.

“If you find anyone that does it better than Big Green, let me know,” she shouted.