Last week, the seniors of No. 16 women’s lacrosse (10-3, 4-1 Ivy) reminded the Ivy League why experience matters. This week, the first-years proclaimed they’re equally hungry for glory.
With an offensive explosion from Avery Doran ’28 and a clutch performance in net from Anne Booth ’28, the team pulled off a stunning 13-12 comeback win over Dartmouth (7-5, 1-4) on Saturday in Hanover, New Hampshire. Storming back from a six-goal deficit to clinch their fourth-straight Ivy League win, the Bears etched their names into the program’s record books for winning at least 10 games in two consecutive seasons.
Doran, who led all players with seven points in the comeback victory, won Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week for her efforts. Posting four goals and three assists, Doran became the third Bear to win the honor this season.
The opening minutes of Saturday’s match-up painted a daunting picture for Brown. Though Doran drew first blood less than two-and-a-half minutes into the game, the Big Green responded with three consecutive goals to take a two-goal advantage.
From there, Dartmouth controlled the pace of play. Even with Greta Criqui ’25 clawing Bruno to a second goal, cutting Dartmouth’s lead in half, but the Big Green responded with three goals of their own, giving them a 6-2 advantage to close out the first quarter.
When the second quarter began, Dartmouth built on their early momentum. Striking twice in under three minutes, the Big Green pushed their advantage to 8-2 before the Bears could find their footing.
But find their footing they did. Brown finally locked down on the defensive end, holding Dartmouth scoreless for the rest of the quarter. Booth, who entered the game late in the first quarter, helped stymie the opposing attack with stellar efforts in goal.
Spurred on by their strong defensive play, the Bears launched a massive 5-0 run to close out the first half — including a goal and two assists from Doran. Maddie Joyce ’25 put up two goals of her own, including a last-ditch score with only three seconds left on the clock to cut Brown’s deficit down to one.
In the third quarter, the Bears continued their barrage and struck first. Criqui found the back of the net for the second time that day, tying the game at eight. Though Dartmouth regained the lead less than two minutes later, the Bears could not be stopped. Brown scored the next three, and even though the Big Green notched a final goal before the quarter wound to a close, Bruno escaped into the final frame with a slim one-goal advantage.
In need of a final offensive boost, the Bears turned to their first-year class. Doran and Riley Peterson ’28 scored back-to-back goals in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, bringing the lead to three with 10 minutes to play. Despite two late goals from Dartmouth, Brown’s defense held strong, and Bruno came out on top with a nail-biting, 13-12 victory.
Along with Doran’s seven points, Joyce added a hat trick, while Peterson and Criqui chipped in two goals apiece. Defensively, Booth tallied nine saves and led all players with five ground balls.
The thrilling victory gives Brown their fourth consecutive Ivy League win, putting them in second place behind Princeton. After their 10-5 finish last season, Bruno has now secured back-to-back seasons with double-digit victories.
This upcoming Saturday, Brown will face arguably its toughest test of the season as they take on Princeton on the road. The game will stream on ESPN+.
Gus Bailey is a senior staff writer covering the sports beat. He is a sophomore studying applied math-economics. His interests include data analytics, marketing, social media and of course, sports.
