Erin's Daughters

THE highlight of the season for the Dartmouth varsity field hockey team occurred before the fall-term began. Coach Mary Corrigan's 15-member squad and trainer Kathy Heck spent two weeks in Ireland where they played ten games against some of the top Irish national players. It was the first international competition for a Dartmouth women's team.

"The playing and cultural experiences were tremendous," says Corrigan, who coached and played Irish club field hockey before coming to Dartmouth three years ago. "Almost every team had an ex-player of mine so it was fun for me to see the players again. But it was also exciting to see the Dartmouth girls improve with each game." The team, which had four days of double sessions before flying from Boston, dropped its first four games before defeating Ashton, .2-1, on scores by sophomore wingers Laura Giuliano and Carol Krensky. The only other victory was a 2-0 performance over Loreto in the Harlequins Festival. Juniors Debbie Sortor and Cheryly Morgan scored the goals.

The team still needs about $500 to pay for the trip, which was financed by alumni donations and funds raised by Corrigan and the players. The players stayed with their opponents' families, who provided bed and breakfast and a meal on the day of the game. "The families practically adopted each girl and came to all of our games," Corrigan says.

The coach has high expectations for the 11-game "official" season that began in late September. "The other highlight of the season," she says, "will be when we win the Eastern Intercollegiate Tournament at Harvard in November."