With the Ivy league title at stake Saturday afternoon, the No. 22 Harvard women's soccer team (10-4-1, 5-1 Ivy) faced off against No. 7 Dartmouth (14-1-1, 6-0 Ivy) at Ohiri Field. DARTMOUTH  2 HARVARD  1

In an intense battle that would give the victors the league championship and a berth in the year's NCAA Tournament, the Crimson dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to the Big Green.

Winners of the last three Ivy league titles, Harvard entered Saturday's crucial match-up looking to give the senior four titles in four years.

Dartmouth, however, riding a superb season and an unbeaten streak in the Ivies, had other ideas as it jumped out to 1-0 lead 1:20 into the game.

Freshman Jamie Lang took a pass from junior Jessica Post and cannoned a shot from 25 yards out into the upper left corner of the goal just over the outstretched hands of Harvard goalie junior Anne Browning.

The goal was Lang's fifth of the year and it put the Crimson in an early hole that would prove too difficult to dig out of.

Dominating early and controlling the ball for most of the first half, Dartmouth struck again in the 14th minute when sophomore Jennifer Murray won a battle for the ball and then fed post who finished nicely from 20 yards out.

The surprisingly pro-Dartmouth crowd went into a frenzy as things began to look bleak for the Crimson.

Feeling a sense of urgency and in danger of letting the game slip away, Harvard picked up the pace thereafter as the game turned into a back-and-forth battle befitting of the stakes and the quality of the two teams playing.

Behind a strong push, Harvard pressured the Dartmouth defense by working the ball up the sidelines and forcing a corner kick in the 32nd minute.

Off the kick, the ball drifted out to sophomore fullback Lauren Corkery in front of the box.

Corkery crossed it to senior co-captain EmilyStauffer who gathered the pass and fired a shotthat was blocked by Dartmouth's Ivy League-leadinggoalie Kristen Luckenbill.

Harvard then caught a break that would grantthe Crimson new hope as the rebound bounced out tojunior forward Beth Zotter it into the goal to cutthe Dartmouth lead to a manageable 2-1 deficit.

"I was actually really fortunate; it justbounced out to me, and I volleyed it in," Zottersaid.

Sensing a comeback the Crimson increased thepressure as junior back Gina Foster began takingcontrol of the action in the midfield.

Feeding the ball upfield, she was the catalystfor several more pushes toward the Dartmouth goal.

However, all of the Crimson's efforts went fornaught as Harvard was unable to tally theequalizer before the half.

Dartmouth had one last chance to regain itstwo-goal lead with two minutes left in the firsthalf when a lull in the Harvard defense allowedDartmouth to penetrate the middle and get a shotoff from 20 yards out.

Fortunately for the Crimson, the ball sailedmenacingly over the crossbar and the scoreremained 2-1 at the end of the first half.

"After the first early goal, we sort of putourselves in a tough spot and then we went downtwo and we knew we had and uphill battle,"Browning said.

"But we knew we still had a lot of time left toplay, and we really felt that we could get back init."

The beginning of the second half was atestament to the importance of the game, as bothteams came flying out of the blocks.

The offensive pace intensified as both teamslet loose with several scoring chances in thesecond half.

In the 67th minute, Dartmouth threatened toextend its one-goal lead when senior forwardJessica Prairie fired a spectacular shot towardthe Harvard goal.

Only an even-more spectacular diving stop byBrowning--who had 11 saves on the afternoon--thatdrew "oohs" and "aahs" from the crowd was ablepreserve the 2-1 score.

"It helps that I'm six-feet tall, but it wasjust a great feeling to make a play like that,"Browning said. "It was like hitting a home run inthat situation."

With Dartmouth's last good scoring chancingbehind it, the Crimson went on the attack andfired several excellent shots at Luckenbill.

However, last season's Ivy League Rookie of theYear--who had not allowed a goal against an IvyLeague opponent entering this game--was up to thechallenge as she denied scoring chance afterscoring chance.

Finishing with 15 saves, Luckenbill may havemade her biggest one of the season in the finalminute of play when she stopped Stauffer'swould-be tying goal from six yards out, endingHarvard's last ditch efforts to salvage their IvyChampionship hopes.

"It's a real disappointment not to be able towin the championship this year," Zotter said. "Wereally wanted the fourth title; hopefully it willjust make us work harder."

"After winning it the past three years, wedidn't really know what it felt like to lose it,"Browning said. "This is a really hard way to findout, but if it means we'll appreciate it more,then maybe it's good lesson."

With Dartmouth clinching the league title,Harvard must now wait until Sunday when thepairings and seedings of the NCAA Tournament areannounced to see where it stands.

Before the show, however, the Crimson takes onBrown at Ohiri Field on Saturday afternoon in whatfigures to be a tune-up for the Tournament.

"We just have to put this behind us now andimprove before the Tournament, "said Zotter.

DARTMOUTH, 2-1at Ohiri FieldDartmouth  2  0  --  2Harvard  1  0  --  1

ScoringDar--Lang (Post) 1:20.Dar--Post (Murray) 13:10.Har--Zotter (Stauffer, Corkery) 31:20.Saves Dar--Luckenbill 15; Har--Browing 11.

CrimsonStephen J. TalBERM, BABY, BERM: Junior forwardASHLEY BERMAN hustles down the field duringSaturday's game.