UMass Upsets Women's Soccer

The Harvard women's soccer team took on UMass yesterday afternoon on Ohiri Field in a first-round NCAA tournament game. The day started out perfectly, but it was too good to be true as the Crimson fell in overtime, 2-1.

It was a gorgeous autumn afternoon, complete with blue sky, bright shining sun and about 1,500 fans eager to see 10th-ranked Harvard add another chapter to its storybook season against No. 23 UMass.

However, in the third overtime period, freshman Jessica Larson tried to head out a UMass crossing pass but instead bumped it into the net, ending the game.

The result was a shocking and undeserved one, not only because the Crimson (15-2) dominated the game, but also because Larson was a mainstay of the Harvard defense, which held UMass to 14 shots on the day.

The Crimson set the tone of the game quickly. Harvard held the ball in the UMass half for the vast majority of the first 45-minute period, and the Minutewomen seemed content to defend and simply try to prevent their opposition from scoring. This translated into many Harvard chances and a slower game, with little end-to-end play.

One of the few breakaways in the game came to the feet of sophomore standout Naomi Miller near the end of the first half. Having dribbled through a couple of UMass defenders, Miller was almost in the clear at the top of the penalty area when she was taken down from behind. While fans were voicing their votes for red or yellow cards, play continued, as the referee did not call any foul whatsoever.

Another result of the UMass team's defense was that the Harvard backs were forced to come forward and play an unusually large part in the offensive play. They stepped up well, but once the ball had been moved into the attacking third, the Crimson seemed to keep getting stuck with the ball at the top of its opponents' penalty area, with its back to the goal.

But despite some offensive frustration, Harvard continued to produce numerous quality scoring chances. The Minutewoman keeper, junior Danielle Dion, must have known that it was just a matter of time before the women of Harvard put one past her. Indeed, with just over two minutes left in the first half, the Crimson scored to take a 1-0 lead.

Junior field orchestrator Emily Stauffer worked her magic along the end-line before centering the ball. Her roommate and fellow junior Lindsay Minkus flicked it on to the top of the 18-yard box, where freshman Gina Foster was waiting. Foster struck a beautiful half-volley to the top left corner, which sailed past a diving Dion, who had no real chance to make the save.

The second half was much the same, starting with stellar play from freshman winger Ashley Berman. On three separate occasions, she created scoring chances, first for herself and later for Stauffer and Miller. Berman shot a ball that sailed just wide of the upper right corner.

She then sent a through ball to Stauffer who, being pressured from behind, missed just wide again. Finally, Berman broke to the net and put the ball at the feet of Miller, who ripped a shot, only to be stymied by UMass keeper Dion, who made an amazing point-blank save.

The Crimson continued to create quality scoring chances in the second half, but the play seemed to switch from the Crimson attacking to Harvard defending and counter-attacking. With the pace slowed and the ball in the Harvard half, the Minutewomen capitalized on one of a very few chances.

With time to act, UMass junior Erica Iverson picked up a ball, left at the top of the penalty area. She struck a deft shot to the top left corner to beat Harvard goalkeeper Jen Burney, who also had no chance to stop the amazing shot.

With this wake-up call, the Harvard women started to move forward again. Stauffer created a legitimate chance for herself, and in the process displayed the incredible skill that makes her the star that she is. After beating two UMass defenders, she had a shot, only to have it blocked again, this time from a fingertip save from Dion.

The Harvard attack led to another missed call by the referee, the second of the game, but, unfortunately for the Crimson, not the last. With the Crimson pressuring deep in the UMass zone, a defender had to pass back to the keeper to prevent Harvard from having yet another ripe chance, and Dion picked up the ball with her hands.

But this is now illegal in soccer, as defenders can no longer play the ball back to the keeper, except if she is just going to use her feet. Again, there was popular disapproval but no call.

Regulation ended and the tired players slowly came off the field, only to return in five minutes for two 15-minute overtime periods. However, once again, the Crimson came out running and gunning.

In the first extra period, the Crimson had an excellent scoring chance--so good, perhaps, some might have even ruled it a goal. Stauffer struck a ball well that hit the crossbar, ricocheted down towards the goal line, but then rolled back out, away from the goal mouth. The ball clearly seemed to be across the goal line, but for the third time, the referee made no call where he well might have.

Despite the injustices and the bad luck they had been experiencing, the Harvard women continued to play hard and go to the goal. The second overtime period was much like the first, and most of the game for that matter--lots of Harvard chances, and no goals.

"They just kept firing shots, but Dion kept us in it," Iverson said. "We made them come down and play at our level."

After a mere 120 minutes of soccer, both teams prepared for another 15 minutes, this time of sudden death. The fatigue in the players was more than apparent. Shots and crosses became one and the same, and play almost ground to a halt.

Then, in what started to become clear as being the only fitting end in the ultimate injustice against Harvard, UMass began to create chaos and chances in the Crimson end. In the delirium of the 132nd minute, an errant Minutewoman cross-shot towards the Crimson goal was inadvertently deflected by Larson's head into the net past a diving Burney, desperately trying to re-adjust in mid-air.

The game was over and the Crimson was suddenly dead. Players and fans alike stood in shock trying to comprehend how Harvard could have lost a marathon game they thoroughly dominated. The scoreboard read 2-1, but might have easily been 7-1 in favor of the loser.

"A day like this...what can you do? I wouldn't change anything; I wouldn't do anything differently," Harvard coach Tim Wheaton said.CrimsonDavid S. TangJunior EMILY STAUFFER is surrounded by a pack of Minutewomen yesterday.

One of the few breakaways in the game came to the feet of sophomore standout Naomi Miller near the end of the first half. Having dribbled through a couple of UMass defenders, Miller was almost in the clear at the top of the penalty area when she was taken down from behind. While fans were voicing their votes for red or yellow cards, play continued, as the referee did not call any foul whatsoever.

Another result of the UMass team's defense was that the Harvard backs were forced to come forward and play an unusually large part in the offensive play. They stepped up well, but once the ball had been moved into the attacking third, the Crimson seemed to keep getting stuck with the ball at the top of its opponents' penalty area, with its back to the goal.

But despite some offensive frustration, Harvard continued to produce numerous quality scoring chances. The Minutewoman keeper, junior Danielle Dion, must have known that it was just a matter of time before the women of Harvard put one past her. Indeed, with just over two minutes left in the first half, the Crimson scored to take a 1-0 lead.

Junior field orchestrator Emily Stauffer worked her magic along the end-line before centering the ball. Her roommate and fellow junior Lindsay Minkus flicked it on to the top of the 18-yard box, where freshman Gina Foster was waiting. Foster struck a beautiful half-volley to the top left corner, which sailed past a diving Dion, who had no real chance to make the save.

The second half was much the same, starting with stellar play from freshman winger Ashley Berman. On three separate occasions, she created scoring chances, first for herself and later for Stauffer and Miller. Berman shot a ball that sailed just wide of the upper right corner.

She then sent a through ball to Stauffer who, being pressured from behind, missed just wide again. Finally, Berman broke to the net and put the ball at the feet of Miller, who ripped a shot, only to be stymied by UMass keeper Dion, who made an amazing point-blank save.

The Crimson continued to create quality scoring chances in the second half, but the play seemed to switch from the Crimson attacking to Harvard defending and counter-attacking. With the pace slowed and the ball in the Harvard half, the Minutewomen capitalized on one of a very few chances.

With time to act, UMass junior Erica Iverson picked up a ball, left at the top of the penalty area. She struck a deft shot to the top left corner to beat Harvard goalkeeper Jen Burney, who also had no chance to stop the amazing shot.

With this wake-up call, the Harvard women started to move forward again. Stauffer created a legitimate chance for herself, and in the process displayed the incredible skill that makes her the star that she is. After beating two UMass defenders, she had a shot, only to have it blocked again, this time from a fingertip save from Dion.

The Harvard attack led to another missed call by the referee, the second of the game, but, unfortunately for the Crimson, not the last. With the Crimson pressuring deep in the UMass zone, a defender had to pass back to the keeper to prevent Harvard from having yet another ripe chance, and Dion picked up the ball with her hands.

But this is now illegal in soccer, as defenders can no longer play the ball back to the keeper, except if she is just going to use her feet. Again, there was popular disapproval but no call.

Regulation ended and the tired players slowly came off the field, only to return in five minutes for two 15-minute overtime periods. However, once again, the Crimson came out running and gunning.

In the first extra period, the Crimson had an excellent scoring chance--so good, perhaps, some might have even ruled it a goal. Stauffer struck a ball well that hit the crossbar, ricocheted down towards the goal line, but then rolled back out, away from the goal mouth. The ball clearly seemed to be across the goal line, but for the third time, the referee made no call where he well might have.

Despite the injustices and the bad luck they had been experiencing, the Harvard women continued to play hard and go to the goal. The second overtime period was much like the first, and most of the game for that matter--lots of Harvard chances, and no goals.

"They just kept firing shots, but Dion kept us in it," Iverson said. "We made them come down and play at our level."

After a mere 120 minutes of soccer, both teams prepared for another 15 minutes, this time of sudden death. The fatigue in the players was more than apparent. Shots and crosses became one and the same, and play almost ground to a halt.

Then, in what started to become clear as being the only fitting end in the ultimate injustice against Harvard, UMass began to create chaos and chances in the Crimson end. In the delirium of the 132nd minute, an errant Minutewoman cross-shot towards the Crimson goal was inadvertently deflected by Larson's head into the net past a diving Burney, desperately trying to re-adjust in mid-air.

The game was over and the Crimson was suddenly dead. Players and fans alike stood in shock trying to comprehend how Harvard could have lost a marathon game they thoroughly dominated. The scoreboard read 2-1, but might have easily been 7-1 in favor of the loser.

"A day like this...what can you do? I wouldn't change anything; I wouldn't do anything differently," Harvard coach Tim Wheaton said.CrimsonDavid S. TangJunior EMILY STAUFFER is surrounded by a pack of Minutewomen yesterday.