Laxwomen to Meet Tigers in Final Four

It's a rematch, but the teams have changed.

On March 25, the Harvard women's lacrosse team toppled Princeton, 6-2.

Tomorrow in West Chester, Pa., the Crimson will face the Tigers in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. The winner will play either Penn State or Temple in the championship game Sunday.

Rematch? No problem.

But seasons change.

"The word out is that "They're so much better than when they played you guys,' but I think a lot of that's just talk," Co-Captain Lisi Bailliere said.

"You have to get stronger during your season," Coach Carol Kleinfelder said. "That's happened to us, and clearly that's happened to them."

The Crimson and the Tigers have the see-saw precariously balanced.

Both teams led the Ivy League in statistical categories. Princeton scored the most goals, with Harvard only three goals behind. Harvard held Ivy teams to the least goals, with Princeton only nine goals ahead.

Princeton's second team All-Ivy goalie, Demer Holleren also matches up squarely with Harvard's honorable mention recipient, Kelly Dermody.

"Their goalie is good but not unbeatable," Co-Captain Katie McAnaney said. "She's not the best or the worst we've seen."

Both offenses are fast. Both defenses are physical.

But a key injury for the Tigers may upset the see-saw.

The Tigers had to revamp their lineup when leading attack Catherine McCarthy, a first team All-Ivy selection, broke her ankle.

Still, the lineup shifting hardly hurt the Tigers in their quarterfinal bout against Virginia last week, as they came from behind to win, 6-5.

It just might come down to a mental showdown.

"They're really up to play us, to get back for their loss," McAnaney said.

But so was Dartmouth. And Harvard defeated the Green, 13-5.

"I think when you get into a tournament situation, a lot of it is mental, who can keep their poise under those conditions," Kleinfelder said. "It really comes down to who can execute."

If the Crimson can repeat the past, then it can put the pin in Princeton's bubble.

"The key last time was that we came out, 5-1, and took all the air out of them," McAnaney said. "If we do that again the same thing should happen."