Laxwomen Cruise By Minutewomen, 8-4

Winning just isn't enough anymore.

At least not for the Harvard women's lacrosse team, now ranked second in the nation behind Penn State.

And definitely not against a team it expected to annihilate.

The Crimson took its guns to the University of Massachusetts yesterday and blasted the Minutewomen, 8-4.

But Harvard's self-reports were hardly glowing.

"It was our worst game to date," Co-Captain Katie McAnaney said.

"It was sort of humbling," agreed Co-Captain Lisi Bailliere.

Junior Char Joslin, who had a hat-trick in the game, sported a brighter view.

"It was a decent game," Joslin said. "It wasn't a stellar game."

UMass baffled the Crimson with a zone defense to turn an expected stellar performance into what was just a decent outing.

"We haven't practiced against that kind of play," McAnaney said. "That threw off our composure so they scored first and forced us to adjust."

The Crimson gained its composure quickly enough to put away five shots while UMass managed one more goal, making the score 5-2 at the half.

But the Minutewomen charged head-on again, scoring early in the second half.

The Crimson hasn't had to play catch-up all season, and seeing UMass get first dibs on the scoring left the team unsettled.

"We were rattled throughout the whole game because of [the UMass lead]," McAnaney said. "They made us change our style."

The UMass zone play forced the ball out of the middle of the field, the Crimson's favorite transition spot. Harvard had to time its passes more quickly to shut the defense down.

The change in style didn't sit well with the offense or the defense.

"We didn't select good shots," Bailliere said. "When we had a chance we either waited too long or shot too soon."

The unexpected swiftness of the UMass goalie also put a wrench in the offensive plans.

"We were told that the goalie wasn't very good and she played really well," Joslin said. "Still, we should have scored a lot more."

But, in defense of the offense, the scoring was more spread out than usual--a sure sign of a stronger, more evenly-rounded attack.

Adding to Joslin's hat-trick, Bailliere pocketed two goals, and Karen Everling, Cici Clark and Julie Clifford each pounded one in the nets.

"Julia French, Karen Everling, Julie Clifford and I all passed well together and that made a big difference because we moved the ball," Joslin said.

The defense has to plead guilty as well, as three of the four UMass goals were shot from the free-throw position after Harvard fouls.

"Their goals were mostly the result of defensive problems," McAnaney said. "We were a little too overanxious."

The Crimson stalled effectively for the last seven minutes of the game and held onto its lead.

Yes, after all the self-criticism, Harvard actually won.

Tomorrow at 3:30 the Crimson plays the University of New Hampshire at Ohiri Field.