Harvard Women’s Lacrosse Falls to No. 16 Notre Dame

In a win befitting its lucky nickname, No. 16 Notre Dame fought hard to defeat No. 25 Harvard 10-7 at Jordan Field on Sunday afternoon.

The game started in the Crimson’s (0-1) favor, with the team dominating early. Quick ball movement and a stellar ride allowed freshman midfielder Natalie Marvin to open up the scoring within the first three minutes. Marvin’s first collegiate goal was a textbook shot, finding the bottom left corner of the goal.

With eight freshmen new to the squad, Harvard’s Head Coach Devon Wills emphasized the importance of senior leadership on the team.

“They are doing a great job in terms of demanding more,” said Wills of her newly appointed captains, midfielder Kate Gilliam and defender Despina Giannakopoulos.

The Irish continued strong in the first quarter, with freshman goalie Ceci Patterson making a tough save off the fast break, preventing a second Harvard goal. After getting called for a double green card due to offsides and an extra player on the field, the Crimson were left two players down, but Notre Dame (4-0) was unable to convert, leaving the door open again for a Harvard counter.

Despite some strong ball movement by the Fighting Irish’s attack, the team remained unable to break through junior goalie Rebecca Arpano. Over the course of the game, Arpano clocked up an impressive tally of 13 saves, including seven in the first half, keeping Notre Dame scoreless in the opening quarter. With strong support from her defensive unit, it was the strength of the ride that allowed Harvard to continue with its forward momentum.

It was senior midfielder Hannah Shiels who managed to tally the second goal, followed in close succession by junior midfielder Grace Mullahy, putting the Crimson up 3-0.

With new regulations coming into effect this season, players are still getting used to the specifics of the rule changes. Capitalizing on the increased vigilance of the referees, it didn’t take much for senior midfielder Charlotte Hodgson to draw the yellow card, leaving Notre Dame a player down. A mistake by the Irish left Mullahy unmarked in the eight, and it just took a quick feed from junior attacker Callie Batchelder for Mullahy to notch her second goal of the game.

A scrappy Notre Dame goal at the end of the first quarter gave the Irish a glimpse of hope. Though the goal was overruled due to a crease violation, it certainly changed the momentum of the game.

Heading into the second quarter, the Crimson maintained control, extending its lead by two. A strong goal by Hodgson and a hat-trick by Mullahy gave the home team a false sense of security.

All it took was a single goal by Notre Dame junior attacker Kate Timarky to rattle the Crimson’s defense for the remainder of the game. Continuing to chip away at the scoreboard, Timarky scored two more goals to close out the second quarter, striving to mount a comeback for the Irish.

The second half was marked by a string of unforced errors from Harvard. A yellow card left Notre Dame a player up, giving way to another goal for the Irish, bringing them within one point of the Crimson.

“We have to definitely learn how to value the ball a little bit more,” said Wills after the game. “It’s the mindset that we’re up and how to maintain that lead.”

From a defensive standpoint, the Crimson continued to be very strong. Arpano made several key saves, including three in quick succession, preventing Notre Dame from running away on the scoreboard. Despite Arpano’s success and quick ball movement on the offensive end, a high shot from Shiels went unrewarded, delivering the ball back to the Notre Dame offense.

There was a real sense of chaos surrounding both teams as possession continued to flip-flop up and down the field. Strong defensive lines on both sides kept the offensive units on their toes, though Harvard was unable to end its scoring drought and find the back of the net.

Notre Dame, on the other hand, surged forward off a fast break. Again, it was another stellar performance by Timarky, whose shovel shot brought the game to a one-goal contest. Even with Arpano in peak form, Timarky’s fake outs were stoppable, especially at such a close range.

With five minutes to go in the third quarter, the Irish managed to dispossess Harvard, capitalizing on an unprotected stick. A shot through traffic by freshman attacker Grace Maroney tied up the game, cementing the incredible comeback for Notre Dame.

In the final two minutes of the third, the Irish pressed ahead, fielding two goals in quick succession, putting daylight between them and their opposition.

Hope began to dwindle at Jordan Field as the final quarter of the game began. There was no stopping the Fighting Irish, as they blitzed ahead, fueled by their successful comeback. Notre Dame senior midfielder Franny O’Brien ran coast-to-coast to snag her first goal of the game, followed by a rocket of a shot from sophomore midfielder Madison Rassas.

With seven minutes left in regulation, there was a brief respite for the Crimson as freshman midfielder Emerson Midura scored her first goal of the afternoon, ending Harvard’s almost 30-minute-long goal drought. Though Midura’s first collegiate goal brought a surge of energy to both the fans and players who lined Jordan, it was not enough to push Harvard back into contention on the scoreboard.

Despite the strong performance across the field, the Crimson was unable to match the consistency of Notre Dame, which wore the hosts down over the course of the game. Yet, this young Harvard team clearly has more to give and will look to improve over the course of the season.

“We are going to make mistakes, but it’s how we bounce back,” said Wills. “It’s the most important thing.”

Following the defeat in its home and season opener, the Crimson will look to rebound as it heads to Rhode Island to face off against Bryant University (1-1) on Wednesday.

— Staff Writer Matilda C. Genieser can be reached at [email protected].