Oct. 23, 2004
Box Score
Columbia women's soccer won its first match of the Ivy League season by rallying from a goal down to beat defending Ivy League champion Dartmouth at Baker Field, 2-1. Meghan Hurlbut thumped home the winner with just over six minutes for her first career goal and the Lions' first ever victory over Dartmouth. Senior Rachel Biondolillo had the Lions' first goal of the match. With the victory the Light Blue improved to 7-6-0, 1-4-0 in the Ivy League while Dartmouth falls to 5-6-3, 1-3-1 in conference play.
The Lions opened the match on attack, using the good wide play to open space in the Dartmouth defense. Aubrey Medal (C-Westlake, Calif.) helped create the Lions first and best chance of the first half as she won a ball in midfield and sent a fine through ball to Shannon Munoz (C-Coto de Caza, Calif.). Munoz gained a step on a Big Green defender and ripped a shot from the right side of the penalty box. The shot beat Dartmouth keeper Anne Marbarger, but the ball hit the crossbar and sailed out of bounds.
Munoz was involved in the Lions' next chance as well. She ran onto a ball on the wing and sent a low cross for Lucie Kroening (C-Oakland, Calif.) in the box, but the ball took a bad hop and Kroening was unable to get her shot off as a Dartmouth defender got there just in time. On the ensuing corner the Lions attempted a short corner play that worked well for them last week, but this time Munoz's cross was grabbed easily by Marbarger.
Columbia controlled possession for the first twenty minutes of the match, winning balls in the midfield and attempting to pick apart the Big Green defense, but slowly the momentum changed and Dartmouth went on the offensive. The Big Green at first was limited to a number of long range shots that were handled by Columbia keeper Erissa Aronson (B-Woodmere, N.Y.). Dartmouth's Jennie Tonneson showed off a particularly strong right foot from distance.
The Lions defense soaked up most of the Dartmouth pressure and made the key tackles when necessary. First-year defender Cathleen Cimino (C-Satellite, Fla.) made a perfectly timed challenge to stuff a Dartmouth shot inside the six yard box and keep the match scoreless. Eventually, the Lions let the Big Green slip through. In the 43rd minute of play, Allison Green sent a cross in from the right wing. Roxy Davis got a piece of the low, hard cross to throw off Aronson, but the ball continued to the back post where Christina Ferraris crashed the ball into the net.
The Lions came out for the second half on the defensive as Dartmouth continued to push forward. First-year keeper Allison Vespa (C-Franklin Lakes, N.J.), who entered the match at halftime, was called on to make two fantastic saves. After 12 minutes, Nicole Cameli sprang free inside the box. Vespa was quick off her line and charged to make a point blank save of Cameli's shot.
Nine minutes later Vespa again denied Cameli one-on-one as the Dartmouth forward was released from a seemingly off-side position. Cameli attempted a left footed shot, but Vespa was right on top of her to smother the shot. The rebound bounced out to a Dartmouth player, but her shot was knocked away by Emma Judkins (C-Houston, Texas), who played well in center defense away from her usual midfield position.
The saves seemed to inspire the Lions as they found new attacking life for the last 25 minutes of the match. They equalized through senior tri-captain Rachel Biondolillo's second career goal in the 67th minute. Munoz drew a foul outside of the penalty box with another dangerous run down the left side of the Dartmouth defense. The sophomore took the free kick as well sending a tantalizing lofted cross to the back post where Biondolillo thundered home a header.
The Lions sensed a victory and continued to attack the Big Green through Munoz and wide play from Hurlbut and Eva Gudbjornsdottir (E-Kopavogur, Iceland). They maintained possession for the majority of the last quarter of the match and found the game winner with just over six minutes remaining. Munoz again provided the service as her corner kick found a charging Judkins who sent a purposeful header to the far post. Hurlbut, who has been extremely effective for the Lions on the left side in these last two wins, hammered the ball into the top of the net for the emphatic winner. The Lions mobbed her in the box as their first Ivy League win of the season appeared at hand.
The win marked Columbia's first ever over Dartmouth.
After six more minutes of tense defending the Lions did secure that victory and pushed their record back above .500. Columbia will look to continue their impressive form when they face Fairfield at Baker Field on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
