Stickwomen Fall in Eastern Playoffs

HANOVER, N.H.--The Harvard women's field hockey season came to a close Saturday afternoon with a 2-0 loss to Dartmouth in the EAIAW Division I playoffs. Dartmouth went on to beat Providence College, 1-0, yesterday and will travel to Berkeley, California, for the nationa's later this month.

"Dartmouth simply outplayed us," coach Edie MacAusland said after the game; in particular, it was the Big Green defense that did in the Crimson, preventing Harvard from coming near the Dartmouth goal and forcing the Crimson to take rushed outside shots.

When the stickwomen did penetrate Dartmouth's defense, goalie Tori Parrott was there to turn them away.

The teams matched each other step for step through most of the first half. Harvard got the first shot of the game when Tania Huber brought the ball up the right sideline and forced a penalty corner. Beth Mullen took the pass from the corner and sent the ball flying towards the Dartmouth net but Parrott made a diving save to keep the game scoreless.

With 12:33 left in the first half, Dartmouth scored the goal that eventually won the game when back Katey McCormack slammed the ball towards the lefthand corner of the net. Goalie Juliet Lamont kicked it away, but Joanne Taplin alertly snatched up the rebound and passed off to teammate Carol Trask, who flung the ball into the lower right hand corner to put the Green up, 1-0, at the half.

Snow began to fall heavily as the second half opened and the bitter cold seemed to affect both teams. For the first ten minutes, neither squad was able to get the ball past midfield, but as their blood began to flow again, the Crimson stickwomen began to apply some offensive pressure.

Forward Kate Martin brought the ball upfield, maneuvering by two Dartmouth defenders and then firing a bullet that went just wide of the net. Mullen and Betsy Torg also took a few shots, but Parrott shut the door on all.

Tapered Off

After their initial run at the Big Green twines, the Crimson stickwomen could not penetrate the defense again.

And with 7:07 left to play, a Dartmouth duo of Taplin and Paula Joyce helped ice the snowy battle when Dartmouth was awarded a penalty corner off their charging drive. McCormack took the pass from the corner and sent the ball zooming over Lamont's head.

Despite the offense's difficulties, the Harvard defense hung tough against an onslaught of Dartmouth attackers. Lamont had five saves on the day and Mullen had key interceptions in front of the net which kept the Big Green from taking even more shots.