Field Hockey Begins Its NCAA Quest

Two days ago, the No. 16 Harvard field hockey team discovered that it had earned its first NCAA berth since 1991. The Crimson drew fourth-seeded Wake Forest in the opening round.

"I was surprised to see our name in there so early," Coach Sue Caples said. "It was thrilling. It was an absolutely wonderful moment for our team."

Now that the Crimson (12-5, 6-1 Ivy) is in the 16-team tournament field, the focus has shifted entirely towards beating Wake Forest (14-3) on Saturday morning. A victory would make this year's Harvard team the first ever to win a NCAA game.

"It's the tournament, and anything can happen in the games you play--there are lots of upsets," freshman forward Kate McDavitt said. "It's good being the lower-seeded team because it means we have absolutely nothing to lose."

Wake Forest is the highest-ranked opponent the Crimson has faced all season. The Demon Deacons placed third in the ACC--the nation's toughest conference--behind No. 2 North Carolina and No. 3 Maryland.

"Down there, they have full scholarships, and their philosophy is to win national championships," Caples said. "But I don't think the ACC has anything different that we don't have. Princeton has been to the final four before. This is the first step for us."

The Crimson is not intimidated by Wake Forest. Harvard will focus on the same fundamentals that it used to get into the NCAA Tournament in order to pull out a victory.

"We've played teams at Wake Forest's level," Caples said. "Our preparation will be the same as it has been. This is nothing new. We've prepared all season for this and then some. We have extremely focused athletes who have had tremendous field hockey experiences already. They are going to thrive as the underdogs."

Although Harvard has yet to play any of the nation's top four teams this year, the Crimson feels that it can compete. No. 6 Princeton--a team that Harvard lost to by two relatively preventable goals--came heartbreakingly close to beating each of the nation's top three teams earlier in the year. Harvard is not that far off.

"We know Wake Forest is a very talented team, but it's not like they're at a whole other level above us," said Katie Zacarian, Harvard's freshman goalkeeper. "They're just another college team. We're definitely there with them."

If the Crimson is to contend, the defense will have shut down some of the nation's best scoring threats. Senior Jenny Everett is averaging a goal and an assist per game for Wake Forest, good for third in the nation in scoring. Three other players have scored at least 10 goals on the season, more than any single Harvard player.

But the Crimson's ability to keep scores low has been its strength all season. Harvard has earned six shutouts and allowed more than two goals in a game only twice all season. The Crimson backs have contained every opposing forward line that they have faced this year.

"The strength of our team is the team--we're solid at all positions." Caples said. "Our defense has been tough. It gives up very few scoring opportunities. We'll have to continue to limit the number of penalty corners that we give up."

Zacarian's experience in goal should boost Harvard's confidence in its ability to shut down the Wake Forest offense. The freshman played two years on the Under-16 National Team and a year on the Under-19 National Team.

"Some of my [former U-16, U-19] teammates are on Wake Forest," Zacarian said. "This level of competition is nothing new."

Zacarian has kept Harvard alive in close games before. In a 1-0 double overtime loss to UMass earlier this year, the Minutewomen went 89 minutes without beating her, despite outshooting Harvard 22-5.

"I anticipate a busy game all over the field," Zacarian said. "For me, it doesn't matter if I get one shot or 20."

The Demon Deacons defense has been even more stellar than Harvard's this season. Wake Forest has shut out 10 opponents and only allowed four teams to score more than a goal in a single game, namely the four other teams in the ACC. It would be difficult for Harvard to come back if its defense is the first to falter.

"When you get to the tournament, whoever makes the least number of mistakes and whoever can execute will win," Caples said. "We'll definitely need our 'A' game."

The Crimson forwards should be ready to step up in their biggest game of the season. McDavitt, with her explosive speed and stick-handling abilities, is capable of making a great individual play and breaking in for a goal at any point in the game. The freshman does not doubt her ability to break through the Deacon defense.

"I think I've played individuals just as good in summer leagues," McDavitt said. "Mostly individuals, but not complete teams."

Sophomore Philomena Gambale, Harvard's spark of the bench, and senior Kate Nagle, the No. 4 scorer in Crimson field hockey history, are the team's other top scoring threats.

Much of Harvard's success on Saturday will be determined by its ability to handle the pressure of the NCAA Tournament setting.

"We've played pressure games before," Caples said. "In the Ivies, you only get one chance because a round-robin determines the champion. We'll be just fine."

Harvard should also expect to face a sizable hostile crowd, larger than any that it has faced this season.

"The surroundings don't matter," Zacarian said. "We're the away team. We'll like the adversity."

Should Harvard win, it would face the winner of the subsequent Michigan-William & Mary matchup. It will be hard for the Demon Deacons not to be looking ahead towards a possible quarterfinal rematch with Michigan, who beat them 3-2 in double overtime in last year's tournament.

But Wake Forest will have to get past Harvard first. In the end, the Crimson's ability to win will depend on its ability to execute in spite of the adversity and the tough competition.

"Just executing--that's the big part of the game," Zacarian said. "We have to make sure we remember the fundamentals."