NEW YORK - The 16th-ranked Dartmouth women's lacrosse team used a big second half to push past Ivy foe Columbia, 12-9 this afternoon.

The Big Green got big efforts offensively from sophomore Kat Collins (Darien, Conn.) and senior Katherine Chiusano (Medford, N.J.) who each tallied four points in the victory. Dartmouth improved to 8-6 overall, 5-2 Ivy with the win, while Columbia dropped to 8-7, 1-6 Ivy.

After a Columbia rally late in the first, Dartmouth ended the half with a bang when Chiusano connected off a pass from Alex Huestis (Swarthmore, Pa.) to tie the game at 6-6 with just one second left before the break. The Big Green took over in the second, outscoring the Lions 6-3 en route to the 12-9 win.

Dartmouth struck early with Collins and Chiusano scoring the first two goals to take a 2-0 lead at 21:34. Columbia answered in turn with a pair of goals of its own to tie the game by 15:46 in the first.

The Big Green popped in a pair of quick goals by Shannie MacKenzie (Riverside, Conn.) and Collins to take the 4-2 lead and the teams traded one more each capped by a Sarah Parks (Ellicott City, Md.) goal at 5:56 to go up 5-3.

Columbia rallied with under five to play in the first, scoring three goals in just two and a half minutes - all on assists from Lauren Olsen - to take a 6-5 lead with 2:14 left. Chiusano's dramatic buzzer-beating and game-tying goal would prove a harbinger of things to come for the Big Green, however.

Dartmouth opened the second half on a tear, scoring four goals in just four minutes starting with Chiusano's second of the day at 24:07. Rookie Erin Massimi (Westwood, Mass.) and Collins each scored before Abigail Holden (Alexandria, Va.) capped the rally at 20:46 for a 10-6 Big Green lead.

Holly Glynn snuck one in for Columbia just after that before Parks made in five goals in 5:06 to put Dartmouth back up 11-7 at 19:01.

Things slowed down a bit for the balance of the half, with the Lions getting two goals eight minutes apart from Rachael Ryan, pulling within two, down 11-9 with 8:36 to play. The Big Green's defense kept Columbia at bay and Collins added insurance with her fourth of the day at 2:26 for the final score of 12-9, Dartmouth.

Junior goalie Julie Wadland (Andover, Mass.) made nine saves for the Big Green while Emma Mintz saved five for Columbia. The Lions held an edge in shots, 29-22, and won 17 of 24 draw controls.

Dartmouth is back in action this Tuesday, April 28 at 3:00 p.m. when it hosts #8 Syracuse in the final home game of the season at Scully-Fahey Field.

2009-04-26