Big Green equestrian team follows trip to national tournament with big plans for season

Dartmouth sophomore Samantha Takacs, riding Cooper, clears a fence during the Big Green's season-opening 8-2 win over Sewanee on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, at Morton Farm. Takacs was named the meet's Most Outstanding Performer. (Dartmouth Athletics - Justin Lafleur)

Dartmouth sophomore Samantha Takacs, riding Cooper, clears a fence during the Big Green's season-opening 8-2 win over Sewanee on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, at Morton Farm. Takacs was named the meet's Most Outstanding Performer. (Dartmouth Athletics - Justin Lafleur) Dartmouth Athletics — Justin Lafleur

By ALEX CERVANTES

Valley News Staff Writer

Published: 10-08-2024 3:01 PM

ETNA — Fresh off the program’s first appearance at the National Collegiate Equestrian Association nationals tournament, Dartmouth’s equestrian team opened its 2024-25 campaign with an 8-2 win over Sewanee on Sunday at Morton Farm.

“”We’ve been working hard the past couple weeks in preparation for our first meet,” said coach Tenley Walsh, now in her fourth season helming the program. “This was a big meet for us (to) help us get back in the rankings. Just really proud of the team and how they all work together.”

The Big Green took an initial 3-2 lead on the flat before sweeping all five points in fences to secure the victory in convincing fashion. Sophomore Samantha Takacs was named the meet’s Most Outstanding Performer after turning in 94- and 90-point rounds in flat and fences, respectively.

Fielding a lineup that features two freshmen, two sophomores and one senior, Walsh commended her squad’s teamwork and, in particular, her upperclassmen’s leadership in getting the squad to mesh in the season’s infancy. 

“There’s a lot of excitement around this young team,” Walsh said. “They started this season already motivated to get to (NCEA) Nationals and prove that we belong there, that we can get there again, and that we’re going to be competitive when we get there.”

Here’s how Dartmouth’s other sports programs fared this past week:

Football improves to 3-0 with win over Penn

Dartmouth christened Buddy Teevens Stadium at Memorial Field with a 20-17 victory over Penn on Saturday.

Owen Zalc was named the Ivy League special teams player of the week for the second week running. The sophomore kicker booted his two field goals through the uprights on Saturday, one from 39 yards and another from 42 yards. He is 6-of-7 on field goal attempts this season — his only miss being a 50-yarder against Merrimack — and has connected on all nine of his extra points.

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For those keeping track at home, a Big Green player has earned the distinction each week this season thus far — senior cornerback Jordan Washington was the opening week recipient.

Dartmouth looks to remain unbeaten this season when it travels to Yale (2-1, 0-1 Ivy) on Saturday. The game kicks off at noon.

Men’s, women’s soccer both stumble away at Cornell

Dartmouth’s two soccer programs traveled to Ithaca, N.Y., on Saturday for each squad’s second Ivy League contest. Both teams fell at Berman Field.

The Big Green women (6-4-1, 0-2 Ivy) generated just two shots on goal against the Big Red as Sydney Allen’s goal in the 53rd minute lifted the hosts to a 1-0 victory. 

After notching six wins in nine matches in nonconference play to open the season, Dartmouth has dropped its first two games in Ivy League play. Coach Taylor Schram’s squad hosts preseason Ivy League favorite Harvard (4-2-4, 0-2) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday before traveling to the Big Apple to face Columbia (4-3-3, 2-0) at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

The Big Green men (4-4-1, 1-1) were outshot 10-3 in the first half and conceded three goals in the opening 45 minutes in their 3-0 defeat to Cornell. Coach Bo Oshoniyi’s team has two home games on its docket this week: a Granite State rivalry date with New Hampshire (3-2-4) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and an Ivy League clash against Columbia (1-7, 1-1) at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Volleyball splits pair of home games

After taking the opening two sets against Cornell on Friday at Leede Arena, Dartmouth seemed well on its way to notching its first victory in Ivy League play this season. But the Big Red rallied to complete a reverse sweep of the hosts, winning the fifth-set tiebreak, 16-14. 

The Big Green (8-5, 1-2 Ivy) returned to Leede on Saturday and convincingly swept Columbia to secure their first conference win, propelled by junior outside hitter KauanyGutz’s 14 kills. 

Coach Kevin Maureen Campbell’s squad hits the road this weekend, traveling first to Philadelphia for a date with Penn (8-5, 2-2) on Friday before playing at Princeton (4-9, 2-2) on Saturday.

Sailing competes in two regattas

At the Open Atlantic Coast Championship held in St. Mary’s City, Md., the Big Green notched a fourth-place finish. At the Hewitt Trophy held in Brunswick, Maine, Dartmouth finished in 10th.

The team’s sixth weekend of competition this fall will see the Big Green return to host the Captain Hurst Trophy at Lake Mascoma, while also competing in the Peak Foliage Invitational, hosted by the University of New Hampshire, and the Women’s Atlantic Coast Championship Finals, hosted by Navy in Annapolis, Md.

Field hockey blown out in weekend games

The Big Green dropped both of their matches over the weekend, falling 8-1 away at Brown on Friday before getting shut out at home on Sunday at Chase Field against Vermont, 7-0

Coach Mark Egner’s squad is now 2-7 on the season and winless in Ivy League play. Dartmouth managed just 11 shots on goal across the two games, nine of which came in the third and fourth periods with the games’ results long decided.

Dartmouth welcomes Penn (2-8, 1-2 Ivy) to Chase Field on Friday at 2 p.m. before hosting Colgate (2-8) at noon on Sunday for Senior Day.

Alex Cervantes can be reached at acervantes@vnews.com or 603-727-7302.