Field hockey completed another solid season with a 1-0 win over Dartmouth on Saturday in Hanover, N.H. The Red (10-5, 4-3 Ivy) defeated the Green (9-8, 4-3 Ivy) to give satisfactory closure to seniors Natalie Appleton, Kelley Kantarian, Katie Kirnan and Melanie Jue.

The victory put Cornell over .500 for the fifth season in a row and forced Dartmouth to share its No. 3 conference ranking with the Red. Overall, the Red’s 2009 campaign marked the fourth season with at least 10 wins since Donna Hornibrook’s took over as head coach six years ago. Out on top: Senior Katie Kirnan (10) found the back of the net early in the second half for her final collegiate goal.

“Dartmouth had a good record going into the game,” said sophomore goaltender Alex Botte. “We were expecting to win, but we knew it was going to be a challenge. We really wanted it, especially for the seniors because it was their last game ever. It was a good way to wrap up the season as it was such a close game and neither of us blew the other out. The game was a fast-paced and highly competitive. It was just a great conclusion.”

Dartmouth outshot Cornell, 15-4, and maintained a 5-3 edge in penalty corners, but Botte shone in the cage for the Red, registering seven saves to keep the Green off the board in the shutout victory. The Green’s Meagan Vakiener made one stop in each of the 35-minute periods.

“We were challenged in a lot of games that didn’t go our way, but we beat Dartmouth to end on a good note,” said senior tri-captain Kelley Kantarian, “Our goalie really stepped up. Both Alex and the defense were major elements in the shutout.”

“Dartmouth had a really interesting strategy where they kept lifting the ball as often as every couple of minutes,” Botte said. “This was surprising to us because we aren’t used to seeing that many lifts. Initially, we got a little frantic, but once we were able to calm down we started playing our style of field hockey and it turned into a very even game.”

Just 1:14 into the second half, senior midfield Katie Kirnan’s unassisted goal gave Cornell the 1-0 advantage and game-winner.

“In the second half, we were able to score early and Dartmouth was clearly frazzled,” Botte said. “They were on the attack for much of the second half, so we spent a lot of time on defense. It was evident that Dartmouth was upset that we had scored and applied offensive pressure to get back in the game, but we held our own and everyone played defense. The defensive unit even included the forwards who came back to help. We also kept our composure, which was definitely key in winning the game.”

“On an individual level, scoring was a pretty cool way to go out and remember the end of my career,” Kirnan said. “But overall, I was just pleased with the way that the team played and I was glad that we won our final game. It was an indication as to what the team is capable of because it was a very tight game. We kept our focus, stayed positive and pulled each other through to victory.”

“Our team worked so well together this season,” Botte said. “And this really seemed to culminate in our final game. It showed that we all have the heart to play. Everything came together perfectly this weekend, which puts us in great position as we look to move forward with the program.”

Botte recognized the transition that the returners will have to make as the team heads into the offseason.

“It’s going to be hard because the four seniors that are leaving are such quality players and people both on and off the field,” she said. “All three captains were true leaders and each brought a unique component to the team. The other players learned something different from their various strengths and types of leadership. It will be difficult to fill the roles of those four players, but this spring we will make an effort to find girls to take Kelley, Kirnan, Nat and Mel’s spots. And I think we have so much to improve on and look back on. We have an amazing team and while we are losing some key players, the core of our team will still remain. Next year I anticipate that we will be just as strong, if not stronger.”

“The end of the season and the end of my Cornell field hockey experience hasn’t really set in yet, but there were some disappointments this year,” Kirnan said. “There is no denying that. There were a lot of close games and a few of them we didn’t come out on top like we wanted to. But I think one of the great things about the season is that we did take each game one at a time and we adhered to that philosophy all fall. We didn’t let ourselves get down about the unfortunate losses that we had against Yale, Harvard and Princeton. It is a real promising testimony as to what the field hockey team can accomplish in the future and it’s an exciting thing to think about for next year.”

“It’s a weird feeling at the end of your last game,” Kantarian said. “Several of us wanted to shed tears, but at that time, we all kind of looked at each other and the rest of the team. We couldn’t help but feel accomplished. The win was a positive way to finish out the fall and ensure that we had a winning record.”

After a short period of rest a smaller, 15-player squad will enter the offseason, during which the players will work together and individually to hone their skills and stay sharp in a less stressful atmosphere.

“I hope that players will take advantage of the spring season,” Kantarian said. “I love spring and I always saw it as a huge opportunity for the juniors and underclassmen to improve as players. I believe that everyone on this team has a good attitude and sincerely enjoys playing, whether we win the Ivy League or not.”

“I was really honored to have the responsibility to lead the team and serve as one of the captains,” Kirnan said. “As we come to the end of the road, I think that I can speak on behalf of myself and the other seniors when I say that this program has a lot of promise and I believe that what we achieved this season will extend into next year. I am confident that they will continue to find success.”