NEW YORK — First year midfielder Jessica Schildkraut's first-half goal was the difference in Columbia's 1-0 victory over Dartmouth on Saturday evening at Rocco B. Commisso Stadium. On homecoming weekend, the match served as Senior Day for Columbia's nine seniors who were honored prior to kickoff.
 
The Lions move to 7-6-1 on the season, including a 3-2 mark in Ivy League competition, while Dartmouth falls to 8-5-2, 2-2-1 Ivy.
 
"We all needed a lift," said senior captain Emma Anderson. "Winning tonight, I kind of forgot for a moment that it was Senior Night and I didn't realize until we ran across the field and you see all those fans and get a little choked up. This game was huge for the seniors. It's huge to win your last game at home and it means a lot for the team going forward."
 
After dropping the last two Ivy League contests in 1-0 decisions, the Lions were finally able to break through and get a 1-0 win of their own. In the 37th minute, Anderson's cross found the foot of Schildkraut who slotted a long ball into the top right corner for her first career goal to give Columbia a lead it would not relinquish. The assist was Anderson's third of the season.
 
"The energy and atmosphere here tonight were electric," said Columbia head coach Tracey Bartholomew. "It was a really good crowd. We had a lot of alumni and families here and it was awesome to get a win for them."
 
The Lions' defense was working hard to keep the ball on offensive side of the pitch, limiting Dartmouth to just two shots all evening. Columbia had shots from seven different players in the game, outshooting the Big Green with 15 shots and six shots on goal.
 
Senior goalkeeper Sophie Whitehouse recorded her seventh win of the season with her fourth clean sheet of the year. Whitehouse had two saves in the victory.
 
Columbia will play the remainder of its regular season schedule on the road, first traveling to New Haven, Connecticut, on Saturday, Oct. 27 to take on the Yale Bulldogs at 4 p.m. ET. The Lions will close out the 2018 slate at Harvard on Nov. 3.
 
For the latest on the Columbia women's soccer program, follow @ColumbiaWSoccer on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook at Facebook.com/ColumbiaWSoccer and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.