Coming off a back-and-forth win over Boston University on March 24, the women’s lacrosse team’s contest at No. 16 Dartmouth on Saturday was over before half-time. The Bulldogs (4–5, 1–2 Ivy) trailed 10–1 after the first 30 minutes of play, and despite a better showing in the second half, fell 12–5 to the Big Green (5–1, 2–0) in Hanover, N.H.

“We knew Dartmouth was going to be a powerful offensive team, and unfortunately we didn’t help ourselves in the first half,” attacker Jenna Block ’10 said. “We played sloppy and had too many unforced errors that they capitalized on.”

The Big Green scored three times before attacker Caroline Crow ’12 got the visitors on the board at 18:39, and proceeded to seven times over the course of the half, including the final tally with only three seconds left on the clock. Dartmouth, which outshot Yale 22–5 in the half, has recorded 66 goals in its last four games.

“We didn’t play our best in the first half but we don’t feel as though we’ve taken a step backwards,” captain and defender Claire Eliasberg ’10 said.

Despite allowing a Dartmouth goal just 50 seconds into the second half, the Bulldog defense pulled itself together and did not concede another goal for over 13 minutes of play. Helped by eight Big Green turnovers, the Elis were able to produce a three-goal burst in under seven minutes to cut the deficit to 11–4.

“The second half we really turned things around,” Crow said. “We could have given up, but we decided to play our game in the second half, and it really showed.”

A Dartmouth turnover at 26:31 sparked the surge as midfielder Logan Greer ’11 scored off of a feed from attacker Winnie Call ’12 to make it 11–2. Less than three minutes later, midfielder Kaitlyn Flatley ’11 scored off of a drive to make it 11–3. It was a Dartmouth turnover that led to a goal once again when defender Michele Fiorentino’s ’10 ground ball pick-up led to an assist from Crow to Block’s first goal of the game.

The Bulldog surge was stopped almost half-way through the second half when Dana Brisbane scored off of a free position for the Big Green to make it 12–4, topping off the scoring for Dartmouth. Flatley would have the final tally of the game at minute 5:16 when she scored off of a free position.

Goalie Whitney Quackenbush ’12 recorded 12 saves compared to Dartmouth goalie Julie Wadland’s five. The Bulldogs outshot the Big Green 11-10 and outscored them 4-2, but it was not enough to come back from the 10–1 first-half finish.

“In the second half we played our game and we were successful,” Block said. “We need to take the momentum from the second half and use it on Wednesday to beat [the University of New Hampshire].”

The Bulldog defense was able to hold the opponents’ top scorer without a goal for the second game in a row. Dartmouth’s Greta Meyer finished the game with no goals, although she did record two assists.

Eliasberg said the team would look to improve on its clears and limit turnovers in preparation for the upcoming week of competition.

The Bulldogs will look to bounce back on Wednesday when they face UNH at Reese Stadium at 4 p.m.