The UNH women's field hockey team suffered a stunning and heartbreaking 3-2 lost Thursday night against Dartmouth College at Memorial Field. It was the Wildcats sixth loss in the past seven games.
After digging themselves out of an early 2-0 deficit, UNH was tied with the Big Green in the closing seconds of the contest, and it looked like the teams would be playing a little extra field hockey.
But with six seconds left in regulation, Dartmouth was award a free shot, 15 yards outside of the scoring circle. Sophomore back Virginia Peisch fired a low shot into the mixer in front of the UNH net. In an attempt to clear the ball, junior back Cally Cooke put her stick on the ground and deflected the ball in the air.
It took a bounce amid the may lay in front of the net before Dartmouth midfielder Rebecca Sobel took a swing and sent the ball sailing into the left side of the net, giving Dartmouth their third goal of the night with two seconds left to play.
"[Dartmouth] play just a bang the ball, bash forward, go at the goal and that's not just good hockey," said head coach Robin Balducci. "We don't want to play that way. I think we are there. And realistically I am pleased with our play tonight."
The loss drops UNH's record to 5-8 overall, while Dartmouth improves to 3-6 on the season.
"We are always disappointed after a loss," said senior captain Sarah Craigue. "I think it is a tough one for us. We played good hockey the first half."
UNH was not without opportunities in this game, as they took 19 shots during the game, 9 of them on goal. They also had 11 corners, including three in a row early in the second half. Dartmouth only managed four.
The Big Green opened up the scoring early when freshman midfielder Kelly Hood scored just two minutes into the game. She weaved her way left to right across the box and chipped the ball over UNH goalie Jenna Lehman's right shoulder.
Hood would make the score 2-0 in favor of her team just 10 minutes later off of one of Dartmouth's four penalty corners.
UNH got on the board with just over 11 minutes left in the first half. Senior back Brittany Jacobs scored her third goal of the season of a UNH corner. After the ball was sent in, Craigue faked a shot before Jacobs sent a worm burner to the net from the top of the circle.
"Our goal has been to play strong 70 minutes all season," said Craigue. "We have been kind of going back and forth between being strong one half and not strong the next. We are trying to come out strong and end strong."
The Wildcats tied the game just three minutes into half number two, when junior forward Meg Shea made her way up the left side of the field and into the circle, chipped the ball to a waiting Whitney Frates, who deflected it into the net.
It was Frates seventh goal on the season which puts her tied for first on the team with Craigue, Shea and freshman sensation Hayley Rausch.
Go ahead opportunities were something the home team did not lack in the second frame. Rausch and Jacobs were part of a give and go that created space so Rausch could find Frates who took two shots, but couldn't find the back of the net.
Then with over seven minutes left to play, freshman midfielder Kaye Collins Smyth intercepted a Dartmouth pass at midfield and found Rausch on the right side of net, but she too could not capitalize.
And although the loss was tough, coach Balducci is not at all discouraged with her team's performance.
""The thing is we actually played a very good game," she said. "I'm sad for the team and disappointed because of the way they played and that they were the better tactical team. You play a good game, you should be able to win it."
The Wildcats return to action on Oct. 11 at Maine. Their next home game is scheduled for Oct. 17 against Vermont at 4 p.m. at Memorial Field. Both opponents are America East foes.
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