CLUB LEADER: Haley Carstensen fires the ball in action this spring in her senior season for the Dartmouth College women’s water polo club team. Carstensen, a Princeton resident and former Lawrenceville School standout, ended her career on a high note. Serving as the team captain, Carstensen scored 56 goals in helping Dartmouth take seventh at the National Collegiate Club Championships. She was named as the 2012 New England Division MVP, a second-team All-American, and a second-team All-National Collegiate Club Championship performer. (Photo Courtesy of Collegiate Water Polo Association)

Coming out of the Lawrenceville School in 2008, Princeton resident Haley Carstensen had the chance to play water polo for some college varsity programs.

But when Carstensen got accepted to Dartmouth College, it was a no-brainer for her to head there even though the school only had a women’s club program in water polo.

After arriving in Hanover, Carstensen joined that club and quickly realized that her passion for water polo would be more than satisfied.

“We had two practices a week before the season started,” said Carstensen.

“In season, we practice five nights a week with two or three morning workouts. A 100 percent attendance rate is expected. You are a student first but you can’t skip practice to study for an exam.”

Having starred for the Big Red in high school and also having played in the Junior Olympics, Carstensen fit right in with the Dartmouth squad.

“I felt I was able to make more of a contribution than I would have if I had been on a varsity team at another school,” said Carstensen, who earned All-New England Division second team honors as a freshman.

“There were a lot of talented girls. I learned a lot from them, especially in terms of conditioning.”

Applying those lessons, Carstensen emerged as a mainstay for the Big Green over her career, getting named as an All-New England performer all four years and serving as team captain this past spring in her senior season.

Carstensen saved her best for last, scoring 56 goals this season, getting named as the 2012 New England Division MVP, a second-team All-American, and a second-team All-National Collegiate Club Championship performer as she helped Dartmouth finish seventh in the national club tournament.

For Carstensen, serving as captain may have been the most meaningful accolade of her Dartmouth water polo experience.

“It was such an honor; I loved every single girl on the team,” said Carstensen. “Nobody was difficult; no team-building was necessary.”

The position brought plenty of responsibility in the student-led organization.

“You handle budget, finances, and making travel arrangements,” said Carstensen, who also displayed her leadership skills at Dartmouth by serving as a student director of the Upper Valley Special Olympics.

“We didn’t have a coach until after the first tournament so I had to run captain’s practices.”

The Big Green culminated their season by coming up big in its final tournament of the year, the National Collegiate Club Championships.

Eleventh-seeded Dartmouth upset sixth-seeded Notre Dame 11-8 in the first round to get off to a good start in the competition. In the quarterfinals, the Big Green fell 7-4 to No. 2 Michigan. Dartmouth ended the tourney by topping Lindenwood University (Mo.) 5-4 to take seventh place in the event.

For Carstensen, the win over Notre Dame ranks as one of the sweetest triumphs in her college career.

“We had played Notre Dame at Foothill College in California and they had beaten us 14-2,” said Carstensen, who scored four goals in the upset victory.

“We had some girls just coming back from junior semester. We thought the  best thing we had going for us was that they thought we were going to crush us. We thought if we could get the lead and then shoot, we had a chance and that’s what we did.”

Against Michigan, Dartmouth had its chances to pull off another upset. “In the Michigan game, we were ahead 3-2 at half but then we lost our utility player who got kicked out,” said Carstensen. “She is one of our best players; she never makes a mistake. It was tough; it was still a really good game.”

Carstensen and her teammates had to tough it out to edge Lindenwood for seventh.

“It was one of the most physical games; they were doing a lot of dirty stuff,” said Carstensen, who tallied two goals in the finale. “Our coach said we aren’t going to do that, we are going to win our own way.”

In reflecting on her water polo experience, Carstensen believes she learned some important stuff that will serve her well after college.

“Playing sports, no matter whether you are a pro or playing soccer at Community Park on Saturdays, is about being able to work with people whose personality isn’t like yours,” said Carstensen, who recently started working as an analyst for Barclays Capital in New York City.

“You come together as a group. You have to think on your feet because don’t know what the other team is going to do.”