Sports Weekly 10/27/14

10. 27. 14

ONCE AGAIN, DEFENSE KEY FOR BIG GREEN IN WIN

MEN’S SOCCER MOVES TO FIRST IN IVY LEAGUE WITH WIN

WOMEN’S HOCKEY STARTS SEASON WITH WIN OVER UNH KATELYN JONES, KELSEY KITTELSEN, ELIZA MCDONOUGH/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY

SW 2

BY THE NUMBERS

80 Power-play percentage for the women’s hockey team in a 6-2 win over UNH.

3-0 The football team is 3-0 in the Ivy League for the first time since 1997.

6 Saves by Tatiana Saunders ’15 in a 1-0 win at Columbia.

Football moves to 3-0 in Ivy with 27-7 win B y brett drucker

The Dartmouth Senior Staff

After emerging victorious from its own homecoming game last weekend, the Dartmouth football team took home another homecoming win on Saturday, spoiling the weekend for Columbia University. The Big Green (5-1, 3-0 Ivy) surrendered only one touchdown to the Lions (0-6, 0-3 Ivy) and finished with a 27-7 win that was rarely in doubt.

Despite being 3-0 in Ivy League play for the first time since 1997, the game marked the first time all season that the Big Green outgained an opponent in total offensive yards ­— topping the Lions 432-326 — and the team’s first four-game win streak since 2003.

Dartmouth jumped on the board early against the league’s last ranked defense, driving 75 yards in 10 plays on its first possession for a touchdown.

Alex Park ’14 started the game at quarterback instead of Dalyn Williams ’16 and threw six completions on the drive that culminated with a 33-yard touchdown run by Kyle Bramble ’16 down the right sideline after a readoption pitch from Park.

Bramble tallied a career-high 126 yards on the ground, averaging 5.5 per rush on the day.

Park would finish the game with 268 yards and two touchdowns through the air to go along with two interceptions in

his first start since 2012. QB coach Chris Rorke informed the veteran signal-caller that he was starting as he got on the bus in Hanover.

“Alex has just been plugged in the whole time,” head coach Buddy Teevens said in a postgame press conference.

“To have him have an opportunity in his senior year, obviously I was happy for him.”

The Big Green went on to score on four of its first six drives, with the only non-scores ending in interceptions.

On Dartmouth’s third drive, Alex Gakenheimer ’17 drilled a 26-yard field goal to extend the Big Green lead to 10.

Park followed this up with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Park to Victor Williams ’16 on the very next drive.

Park’s second interception led to the only Columbia score of the game, a nine-yard touchdown pass that capped a 23-yard drive that was hampered by four penalties against the Lions.

Dartmouth answered immediately, as Kirby Schoenthaler ’15 returned the ensuing kickoff 56 yards down the right sideline to the Columbia 44 which was advanced to the 39 after another Columbia penalty.

The Big Green took advantage of the great field position and scored another touchdown with less than one minute remaining in the first half on another pass from Park to Williams crossing the middle of the end zone.

While Williams led the way for the Dartmouth receiving corps with both touchdowns, sure-handed Ryan McManus ’15 led the team with seven catches on the day for a team-high 76-yards.

“Ryan played great, the receivers played great,” Park said in a postgame press conference. “At halftime I felt like I was holding the team back with those two interceptions, and everyone picked me up after that and did a great job.”

The second half proceeded without much excitement, as Dartmouth scored the only points of the half on a 24-yard Gakenheimer field goal near the end of the third quarter.

The Big Green defense added a pair of interceptions to thwart the Lions’ attack. Cornerback Vernon Harris ’16 intercepted a pass from Columbia junior quarterback Trevor McDonagh on the right sideline after jumping the receiver’s route and returned the ball 24 yards to set up the second Gakenheimer field goal of the afternoon.

On the next drive, linebacker Will McNamara ’16 came up with a takeaway of his own on a pass over the middle in the red zone to snuff out Columbia’s final scoring threat.

In a sign of the team’s growth, despite the victory, in the post-game press conference both players and coach Teevens seemed disappointed.

“We just went out there and didn’t

make as many plays as we wanted to,” McNamara said in the press conference. “We didn’t execute as well as we planned.”

McNamara leads the Ivy League in tackles with 10.8 per game, over two more than the second-place player.

Going into the weekend, Dartmouth was one of three remaining undefeated Ivy League teams along with Harvard University and Princeton University, who matched up in New Jersey this weekend as well. The Crimson (6-0, 3-0 Ivy) dominated its hosts in an impressive 49-7 rout that saw Harvard jump out to a 49-0 lead before the Tigers (3-3, 2-1 Ivy) even got on the board.

The lopsided Harvard victory sets up a critical clash between the two remaining undefeated Ivy League teams next week when the Crimson travels to Hanover in what could be the de facto Ivy League championship game.

Teevens said that his team played an imperfect game against Columbia and noted that Big Green needs to put together a better performance to knock off the defending co-Ivy champion Crimson next week.

“It’s a nice teaching opportunity,” he said. “The guys are smart guys, they know we didn’t play as well as we need to. The reality is, we need to put an ‘A’ game together.”

The game against Harvard kicks off at Memorial Field at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

With 1-0 win, men’s soccer surges to lead league

B y kourtney kawano

96 Minute when Wyatt Omsberg ’18 scored the game-winning goal against Columbia.

After dropping back-to-back games last week, the men’s soccer team regained momentum with a win over Columbia University, 1-0 in overtime at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium on Saturday. Not only did this victory avenge the Big Green’s (8-4-1, 3-1 Ivy) 2013 loss to the Lions (5-6-1, 1-2-1 Ivy), it also places Dartmouth atop the Ivy League standings.

“It’s always good to win an Ivy League game because there isn’t a lot of room for error,” head coach Chad Riley said. “It feels good to

Lindsay Ellis ’15 Editor-in-Chief

10. 27. 14

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014

Stephanie McFeeters ’15 Executive Editor

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Sports Editors Tracy Wang ’15 Natalie Cantave ’16 Photography Editors

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Michael Riordan ’15 Executive Editor

be at the top, but we know we need to fight to keep that spot.”

The first period started evenly as both teams took turns possessing the ball while struggling to maintain control of passes in the middle third of the field. In the fourth minute of play, Alex Adelabu ’15 raced past Columbia defenders and kicked a ball into the middle of the net, but the referees determined that he kicked it out of the Lions’ goalkeeper’s hands. The game clock stopped momentarily to let an injured Columbia player, David Westlake, walk off the field before the Lions received possession of the ball.

As play continued, Columbia responded with a shot that sailed high of the net. The Big Green continued to increase its offensive intensity with shots by Matt Danilack ’18, Stefan Defregger ’15 and Gabe Stauber ’15. Although the Lions made use of their familiarity with the stadium’s turf, the Big Green’s defense responded swiftly to Columbia’s counterattacks, preventing goals off of three shots in a three-minute stretch.

However, like in last week’s game against Penn, the Big Green struggled to finish its runs, leading to another scoreless half for both

teams. Dartmouth led in shots, 7-5, in the first half, and both teams’ goalies made one save.

“We came out with a lot of energy,” Adelabu said. “We had so many chances in the first half, but we just needed to remain focused.”

The Big Green attacked right out of halftime with two corner kicks by Gabe Hoffman-Johnson ’14 in the

52nd minute and shots by Adelabu and Tyler Dowse ’18 in the next two minutes. Moments later, the Lions answered with an improved offensive onslaught that began with a shot on goal by Columbia forward Francisco Agrest that goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland ’16 turned away SEE M SOCC PAGE SW 4

KELSEY KITTELSEN/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

After a 2-1 loss to Penn, the men’s soccer team got back on track at Columbia.

THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014

Women’s soccer to 2-0-3 Ivy with 1-0 win B y emily wechsler

Dartmouth’s road trip to New York, which will continue Monday against Marist College, began in victory Saturday with a 1-0 triumph over Columbia University. Tasha Wilkins ’15 drove a free kick that muscled its way into the net to give Dartmouth the lead in the 19th minute, and the Big Green never let the lead slip away.

Pre-game statistics suggested that this match would be a defensive battle. Dartmouth (5-4-4, 2-0-3 Ivy) had allowed a stingy .67 goals per game, but Columbia (6-3-5, 2-2-1 Ivy) had allowed an average of just .62. The defenses protected their goalkeepers. Tatiana Saunders ’15 needed just six saves, and Columbia sophomore Allison Spencer just four.

Columbia earned the first shot on goal of the game with a header that Saunders picked up in the fourth minute. Dartmouth tallied the next three, including a great volley chance for Lindsay Knutson ’18 that Spencer grabbed. Columbia rounded off the early opportunities with another header attempt.

Saunders shut down several Columbia advances before they became dangerous by playing off of her line. The ball rolled on the fast turf ahead of the Lion athletes, and Saunders scooped it up each time.

“We knew that Columbia liked to play balls through diagonally,” Saunders said. “And in the first half we had the wind against us, so the idea was that the defenders would shield Columbia off and that would allow me to come get the ball because a lot of balls were being carried by the wind straight to the goal.”

In preparation for the game, head coach Ron Rainey said, Dartmouth had worked on techniques for turf play since Dartmouth’s home field is grass.

“We knew this was going to be a game where at times it was going to be a little bit frustrating and there wouldn’t be as much possession or rhythm as we wanted,” Rainey said. “But we had our moments where we did a real good job.”

On one bouncing play, Corey Delaney ’16 drew a foul a few yards above the box and to the right side of the D. Wilkins took the free kick for the Big Green.

The ball curled over Columbia’s fourman wall, toward the right side of the goal, and beyond Spencer’s outstretched left hand into the net. It was the striker’s fourth goal of the season.

Columbia freshman Natalie Neshat had a chance in the 35th minute that Saunders easily covered. This was the only shot on goal for the Lions in the second part of the half.

The second half featured Columbia’s aggression and physicality battling against Dartmouth’s defensive strength.

Saunders said the defense had to change its mindset because of the direction of the wind: since the balls would no longer roll to Saunders, the defenders had to play more tightly and communicate more to handle play themselves.

“At times when you’re up 1-0 you defend the lead a little bit,” Rainey said.

“I thought that Columbia played better in the second half and we defended a little bit. We did an excellent job clearing balls and doing those types of things. But it took everything we had, all 11 players, from a defensive standpoint, to keep the shutout.”

Columbia put high pressure on Dartmouth to try to tie the game, pushing players forward more than usual, but also had a slightly better possession, Rainey said. Though they were on the more advantageous half, due to the wind, the Lions did not score.

Columbia played a physical game, Saunders said. Wilkins called the match a “scrappy” game. Columbia finished the game with 13 fouls. Dartmouth committed only four.

“At times, we could be a bit more physical ourselves,” Rainey said.

Dartmouth’s last shot on goal was a 71st minute strike from Delaney that Spencer cleared on a diving save.

Columbia finished with a 10-9 edge on shots. The final minutes featured several dangerous positions, including one in which Saunders barely tipped a Columbia free kick over the crossbar.

Yet Dartmouth rode out the full 90 minutes, placing the team second in the Ivy League. The Big Green faces firstplace Harvard University in its next and last home game Saturday.

“We did a great job as a team, both attacking and defensively. We defended from the top all the way to the back of the defense so it was really great team defensive effort,” Saunders said.

Marist (2-10-4) plays on artificial turf, so the team will take notes from Saturday’s Columbia match. Dartmouth may also rotate a few more players in because of the quick succession of these two games.

“I think we want to work at looking for times where we can really slow it down and be deliberate in our possession,” Rainey said. “I think if we can do that it will allow more numbers to get forward and possibly give us some more attacking chances with numbers up field.

We want to be fast but we also want to get numbers in the box, too.”

The game against Marist kicks off at 5 p.m. tonight in Poughkeepsie, New York, and the game against Harvard is set for 4:30 p.m. at Burnham Field on Saturday.

Women’s hockey skates to 6-2 win vs. UNH B y Haley Gordon

The women’s ice hockey team notched an impressive win in its first game of the season Sunday, beating the University of New Hampshire Wildcats 6-2 at Thompson Arena.

The Big Green’s (1-0-0) top line of Kennedy Ottenbreit ’17, Laura Stacey ’16 and Lindsey Allen ’16 earned nine points on the afternoon.

The women scored against the Wildcats (2-6-1) just over six minutes into the contest.

“We’re really focusing on playing the full 60 minutes, playing an up-tempo game and taking some risks,” head coach Mark Hudak said.

The Big Green kept the puck in the Wildcat’s zone for most of the beginning of the game, eventually leading to a power play goal scored by Ottenbreit in the seventh minute.

Physical play from both teams characterized the game, and several power play opportunities arose for each side.

But the Big Green went 4-5 with the man advantage, keeping UNH off the board.

At the end of the first period, UNH had 12 shots on target. Dartmouth’s goaltender Robyn Chemago ’17 saved

Side -BySide

Dartmouth

UNH

1-0-0 Record 2-6-1 6

Score

2

30

Shots

24

80

PP %

0

12

Saves

24

all 12 en route to 22 on the afternoon.

The Wildcats’ junior goaltender Vilma Vaattovaara stopped five of the six shots

on net for Dartmouth in the first period.

“I felt confident,” Chemago said.

“I wanted to keep it simple so my girls could go out there and score goals.”

Dartmouth’s offense clicked by the middle of the game, putting together passing plays, dominating possession and generating plenty of scoring chances.

After six minutes, the Big Green doubled its lead when Hailey Noronha ’18 played the puck in from the blue line and Allen knocked it into the back of the net. The assist was Noronha’s first point for the Big Green.

A penalty drawn by Katy Ratty ’17 set the Big Green up for its second power play of the day. Karlee Odland ’15 capitalized on the opportunity, blasting a hard shot in the air that flew past Vaattovaara, off an assist from Ailish Forfar ’16.

Just seconds later, UNH scored its first goal of the afternoon to cut the deficit to just two at the end of the second.

SEE W HOCKEY PAGE SW 4

SW 3

THE

RUNDOWN Football SCHOOL

IVY

OVERALL

HARVARD DARTMOUTH YALE PRINCETON

3-0 3-0 2-1 2-1

6-0 5-1 5-1 3-2

BROWN PENN COLUMBIA CORNELL

1-2 1-2 0-3 0-3

3-3 1-5 0-6 0-6

Men’s Soccer SCHOOL

IVY

OVERALL

DARTMOUTH HARVARD PRINCETON PENN CORNELL COLUMBIA BROWN YALE

3-1 2-1-1 2-1-1 2-1-1 2-2-0 1-2-1 1-2-1 0-3-1

8-4-1 8-4-1 7-3-3 6-6-1 9-4-1 5-6-1 3-5-5 1-9-3

Women’s Soccer SCHOOL

IVY

OVERALL

HARVARD DARTMOUTH COLUMBIA PRINCETON YALE BROWN PENN CORNELL

4-0-1 2-0-3 2-2-1 2-2-1 1-1-3 1-2-2 1-3-1 1-4-0

9-3-2 5-4-4 6-3-5 5-5-3 6-4-3 6-6-3 5-5-3 7-8

Volleyball SCHOOL

IVY

OVERALL

YALE HARVARD PRINCETON DARTMOUTH COLUMBIA BROWN PENN CORNELL

7-1 6-2 5-3 4-4 3-5 3-5 3-5 1-7

11-6 13-4 10-8 13-6 7-10 8-12 6-13 4-14

Field Hockey SCHOOL

IVY

OVERALL

COLUMBIA CORNELL PRINCETON DARTMOUTH HARVARD PENN BROWN YALE

4-1 4-1 4-1 3-2 2-3 2-3 1-4 0-5

11-4 10-4 5-10 5-9 8-6 6-7 9-5 2-1

THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS WEEKLY

SW 4

ONE

ON

ONE

WITH FRANKIE HERNANDEZ ’16

B y katie Jarrett The Dartmouth Staff

Before the Big Green’s 27-7 win over Columbia University this weekend, I sat down with two-time Ivy League defensive player of the week Frankie Hernandez ’16, who has starred on the season’s impressive football team, which moved to 5-1 with its 27-7 win over the Lions.

How did it feel to earn Ivy League player of the week twice?

FH: It’s definitely a great feeling.

I think the most important thing is that we’re winning. It’s what we’re all focused on.

are definitely confident. We are excited to keep this winning streak going.

Do you have any superstitions or pregame rituals?

FH: I always go out and warm up by myself before anyone else gets out there, usually a couple of hours before the game. I like to just go out there in my shirt and shorts and walk around the field, especially at away games, just to get a feel for what the stadium and field are like.

When did you start playing football?

FH: In kindergarten. I don’t even know how many years it has been, but its been a long time, and its going to be weird not playing anymore in a couple of years when I have to stop.

What has been the difference maker for you this season?

FH: This is the “When I was a little kid I first season I’m played basketball, soccer, playing a lot baseball. I didn’t stop on defense, so playing baseball until it’s nice to get my sophomore year of to take what high school. I kind of I do in pracregret giving that up. tice and put it Sometimes, I see the in games. I’ve been learning baseball team out there a lot from the practicing and I kind other defensive of wish I could still be playing baseball, but I backs.

Did you ever play any other sports?

F H : W h en I was a little kid I played basketball, soccer, baseball.

I didn’t stop playing baseball until my sophomore year of high think ultimately I needed school. I kind of regret giving What did you to so I could focus on that up. Somedo in the off- football.” times, I see the season to prebaseball team pare for this out there practicing and I kind year?

FH: It was nice being here this of wish I could still be playing summer. We had a new strength baseball, but I think ultimately coach and we worked out very I needed to so I could focus on football. hard with him.

What did your training look like with Coach Brown [the new strength coach]?

FH: We would do both conditioning and agility work every week, as well as lifting. We would also have the opportunity, with no coaches, just by ourselves, to do some drills with footballs.

How do you think the season is going?

FH: Very well. We had one tough loss to UNH, but I think we’ve corrected what we need to correct. It’s nice being 2-0 in the Ivy League.

I don’t think we’ve had that kind of start in a long time, but we’re staying focused. We know we have a long road ahead of us now.

Any predictions or hopes for the rest of the season?

FH: I wouldn’t say predictions, but we

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014

Team now up two points in Ivy League FROM M SOCC PAGE SW 2

in the 64th minute.

Riley said Cleveland played exceptionally on Saturday.

“He made timely saves that were both expected and important,” Riley said. “He remained focus during crucial moments of the game.”

Unlike previous games where the Big Green clearly dominated offensively, Columbia outshot Dartmouth, 12-9, in the second half. The men remained unshakable, though, as Cleveland saved two shots in the 73rd and 75th minutes before Nick Rooney ’15 and Jonathan Nierenberg ’18 attempted header shots that sailed just high of the goal. The period ended with a shot by Defregger that was saved by Columbia goalkeeper Kyle Jackson and a header shot by Colin Heffron ’15 that could not make it into the back of the net for a goal, sending

the game to overtime.

“Before overtime, we talked about control,” Riley said. “I told the team to just keep doing what we’re doing and let the ball do the work.”

“Before overtime, we talked about control.

I told the team to just keep doing what we’re doing and let the ball do the work.”

- CHAD Riley, Men’s Soccer Head Coach After regrouping, the team maintained its offensive pressure and did not allow the Lions to counterattack. Adelabu took a shot in the

92nd minute that sailed high of the net and followed that attempt four minutes later with a shot saved by Jackson. The breakthrough came in the 96th minute when a corner kick by Defregger sent the ball to Wyatt Omsberg ’18 who headed it past Jackson for the win. This was Omsberg’s second goal of the season and his second time securing a win in overtime.

“It felt good to score,” Omsberg said. “We knew it was important to get a result and we’re glad we did.”

With another win under its belt and only four games left in the regular season, the Big Green looks ahead to improve its record. The team will travel to Massachusetts to take on Boston College on Tuesday before returning home to face Ivy League foe Harvard University on Saturday at Burnham Field.

Both games are slated to start at 7 p.m.

Top line key in opening win at home FROM W HOCKEY PAGE SW 3

Dartmouth continued its offensive dominance in the final frame, with offenders doggedly taking shots and pressuring UNH on the ice.

After eight solid minutes, Ottenbreit scored her second goal of the game, assisted by Stacey — her third on the night.

Halfway through the frame, redshirt freshman Kate Haslett scored on a long shot from the outside to bring Dartmouth’s lead down to two

goals.

Stacey responded three minutes later with her first goal of the year on a beautiful shot from the circles.

Chemago got a point on the play, as she fed the puck to Olivia Whitford ’16, who found Stacey.

Yet another power play for Dartmouth allowed for more offensive chances and Allen scored her second goal of the game to make it 6-2.

“Last year was a struggle for us because we didn’t have as much offense,” Allen said. “So for us

having this first game and winning 6-2 — that’s completely different from what we know.”

The Big Green’s consistent defense and hard work sealed the win, according to Hudak, as Chemago made saves all the way until the final buzzer.

The team will play its first twogame stretch this weekend, kicking off at home on Friday at 7 p.m. against Union College before hosting Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Saturday.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: IT’S A GREAT DAY FOR HOCKEY

Are you a big fan of watching baseball or the MLB? FH: Not necessarily. Surprisingly, I don’t actually watch too many sports. I’m usually just focusing on playing and working out. After playing so much football, I’m kind of sick of sports when I go home.

Thinking a little ways down the road, when football does end, is there anything on campus that you’ve never gotten to do that you might want to?

FH: I’d definitely try to be a bigger fan of sports here. Unfortunately, with how busy our schedule is, I haven’t been able to support other teams as much as I’ve liked to, so I would definitely like to get out and do that.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

ELIZA MCDONOUGH/THE DARTMOUTH

An offensive explosion by the women’s hockey team led to a 6-2 win over Granite State rivals UNH.