HANOVER — In its season opener, a 1-0 victory against Marshall, Dartmouth women’s soccer took their foot off the gas after an early goal, according to head coach Taylor Schram.

Building an attacking identity has been a point of emphasis for Schram and her staff this season after tallying just 16 goals in 2023.

Four games into Schram’s second year at the helm, the Big Green have already notched 13 goals.

On Sunday, an 8-0 battering of Stonehill — the program’s highest single-game scoring tally since 2000 — illustrated Dartmouth’s attacking depth and the full fury its counter-pressing can inflict when it isn’t playing a more direct team.

“You just saw the look in their eyes,” Schram said. “Every player that was on the bench, every player that was on the field, they were so dialed into continuing to keep their foot on the gas. We talked about leading up to the game that we’ve got to string together 90 complete minutes, and I felt like we really did that.”

The Big Green’s attacking onslaught began in the seventh minute when fifth-year forward Daisy Granholm leapt above her defender and put the ball in the back of the net with a glancing header. Granholm went on to convert a penalty and a highlight-reel finish to bag her hat trick almost midway through the first half.

Three goals in 19 minutes; the first hat trick scored by a Dartmouth player since 2019.

“I knew that I had some unresolved chances in some other games, so I really wanted to focus on finishing mine,” said Granholm, whose whole family was in attendance. “I felt good, had a little bit of a chip, and it always works out.”

The win concludes a four-game season-opening home stand for the Big Green (3-1), who will travel to Pittsburgh on Thursday for their first road test of the campaign.

“This was definitely an example of how deep our team is this year,” said sophomore midfielder Frankie Valveride, who recorded a goal and an assist. “It just goes to show how good we’re going to be this year and how excited everyone is.”

Women’s rugby team wins home opener

Dartmouth commenced its 2024 15’s campaign with a 49-5 thrashing of Army in the season opener. Junior wing Katelyn Walker’s first-half hat trick set the tone for the Big Green, who are ready to make another run at a National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) title.

The program, which began in 2015, has appeared in three straight national championship games. A 20-12 loss to Harvard last season spoiled Dartmouth’s bid for three consecutive titles and a would-be league-record fourth overall.

The Big Green travel east to Brunswick, Maine, on Saturday for an exhibition with Bowdoin before hosting Princeton on Sept. 14.

Men’s soccer drops season opener

The Big Green began their season with a 2-1 defeat to Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

The Eagles outshot Dartmouth 15-7, including a 10-0 differential in the second half. Senior goalkeeper Costi Christodoulou made five saves in the match, but he was unable to get a glove on either of Boston College’s goals, both of which saw out-swinging balls find the head or foot of an Eagle attacker at the back post.

Sophomore forward Vasilis Moiras, a second team All-Ivy honoree as a freshman, bagged the Big Green’s only goal.

Dartmouth begins a five-game nonconference home stand against FDU on Thursday.

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