Field Hockey Splits Home Weekend

After a tough loss to nationally-ranked Princeton last weekend, the Harvard field hockey team (8-6, 3-2 Ivy) returned to action over the weekend and split its two games at Jordan Field.

On Friday, the Crimson couldn’t overcome a slow start against Dartmouth and dropped its second consecutive Ivy contest 4-2. The loss dropped Harvard into a third place tie with the Big Green (11-4, 3-2 Ivy) in the Ivy standings, behind undefeated Princeton and second place Penn.

The Crimson rebounded on Sunday and put forth a dominant defensive effort to defeat crosstown foe Boston University 1-0 on Senior Day.

Harvard seniors Natalia Berry, Eliza Dick, Heather Hussey, Sarah Luskin, Katie Turck and captain Jane Park were honored in a pre-game ceremony.

The win was the Crimson’s first against the Terriers (8-10) since 1991 and gave Harvard this year’s Teapot crown, the field hockey equivalent of the Beanpot. The Crimson defeated Northeastern and Boston College earlier this season for a sweep of its three Boston rivals.

Harvard 1, B.U. 0

The Harvard defense dominated the Terriers, and junior forward Philomena Gambale provided all the offense in the Crimson’s Sunday win.

The game’s lone goal came in the sixth minute on a Crimson penalty corner when Gambale knocked in the rebound off a shot by freshman Shelley Maasdorp. Terrier goalie Susan Harrington made the initial save, but the ball bounced past her and onto the stick of Gambale, who stuffed it home.

Gambale said the team used some extra emotion to step up its play.

“It was Senior Day, and we kind of had to take back our field after losing on it a couple of times,” Gambale said.

The score came as a result of an aggressive Crimson assault over the first ten minutes of the game that resulted in four penalty corners and constant pressure on Harrington.

The Terriers finally broke through the suffocating Harvard defense for their first scoring opportunity in the 16th minute, but sophomore netminder Katie Zacarian was solid in goal, making two diving saves to preserve the Harvard advantage.

B.U. mounted another charge late in the first half and created its third penalty corner with just 30 seconds remaining. A shot by Terrier junior Jane Rogers went wide and the Crimson took a one-goal lead into intermission.

Harvard came out aggressive in the second half and nearly had another goal in the opening seconds, but a backhander by Maasdorp rolled wide of the post.

In the 53rd minute, Gambale stole the ball from a Terrier back and broke in alone on the goal, but Harrington raced out of the net to break up the play.

The Terriers’ best scoring opportunity came in the 52nd minute, but a sprawling save by Zacarian turned away a penalty corner shot by junior Casey Holman.

The Crimson dominated the final 10 minutes of the game before B.U. made a final push in the waning seconds. With less than a minute left, Zacarian thwarted Terrier sophomore Celeste Hubbard’s attempt and Harvard held on for the victory.

It was Zacarian’s fourth shutout of the season.

Harvard Coach Sue Caples was proud of the team’s consistent intensity and focus throughout the game.

“We played a complete game today,” Caples said. “We were a very disciplined team out there today on the defensive side, and we moved the ball well.”

Dartmouth 4, Harvard 2

The Big Green took advantage of some sloppy early play by the Crimson to defeat Harvard at Jordan Field on Friday.

Dartmouth began the scoring on its second penalty corner in the third minute of the game. After Zacarian stopped the initial shot, Big Green forward Lauren Talbot stuffed home the rebound to put Dartmouth ahead 1-0.

The penalty corner came as a direct result of the Big Green’s first corner when Harvard’s defense failed to clear the ball after a Zacarian save.

Dartmouth tacked on another goal four minutes later after another breakdown in the Crimson backfield.

The Big Green sent a long pass downfield which got past senior back Sarah Luskin and was picked up by a wide open Lauren Welsh. Welsh dribbled past a diving Zacarian and guided the ball into the empty cage for a 2-0 Dartmouth advantage less than seven minutes into the game.

The Crimson started a small rally after the second Big Green goal and converted on its fourth penalty corner of the half. Sophomore forward Mina Pell tipped in a slapper by Maasdorp to pull Harvard within 2-1 with 18 minutes left in the first half.

However, the Big Green responded and regained a two-goal advantage five minutes later on another penalty corner. Dartmouth back Rebekka Stucker tipped a shot by Carolyn Steele past Zacarian to make the score 3-1 heading into the half.

Caples was disappointed with the team’s lack of effort in the first half.

“We got outplayed in every aspect of the game,” Caples said. “We have to learn how to play for 70 minutes.”

Harvard came out strong in the second stanza but couldn’t convert on some early scoring chances.

Dartmouth then put the game away in the 41st minute when midfielder Caitlin Barrett outmaneuvered Zacarian and backhanded a shot to give the Big Green a 4-1 advantage.

The Crimson kept constant pressure on the Dartmouth defense throughout the second half but could not convert on set plays, creating nine penalty corners and only one goal.

Pell picked up her team-leading eighth goal of the season in the 56th minute by tipping in another Maasdorp shot on a corner.

Overall, the Crimson converted only 2 of 13 penalty corners, while the Big Green went 2-for-6.

Harvard takes on Providence on Wednesday at 3 p.m. on Jordan Field in a game that was postponed from earlier in the season.