W. Lacrosse Wins Close Game at UMass

What a difference a year can make.

In its season opener, the Harvard women's lacrosse team upset UMass, 7-6, on Saturday, avenging a 10-3 rout the Crimson suffered at UMass in the season opener last year.

Harvard sophomore Lizzy Frisbie scored the game-winner with 1:12 remaining in regulation to complete the come-from-behind victory.

"This was a huge win for us," junior Lauren Corkery said. "We had lost to UMass the past two seasons and to start out on a good footing is key to our season. It gives us a better outlook. I am really proud of how we came through to pull out the win in the horrible conditions with the freezing temperatures and the snow."

The Crimson (1-0) scored four unanswered goals in the final 10 minutes to erase a 6-3 advantage for the Minuteman (0-1).

Harvard's impressive performance in the game's waning minutes was an exciting change from last season.

"Once they went up 6-3, this panic set in," Corkery said. "It was like, 'we can't lose this game.' We had been losing possession too much and we weren't willing to lose the game because of it."

In games decided by two goals or less last year, the Crimson was an unimpressive 1-4.

Harvard's disappointing record in close games last season included heartbreaking losses to Yale, Brown, and Cornell by scores of 9-10, 8-10, and 8-9 respectively.

"The team, however, looks better than last year starting out," Corkery said.

The Crimson's impressive showing Saturday bodes well for the team, which is expecting to improve on a disheartening 2-5 Ivy League performance a year ago.

"This win definitely helps us heading into the Ivy schedule," Corkery said. "We know that even if we go down, we can pull it out against anyone. I just feel so much better about this team."

Junior midfielder Megan Austin ignited the Crimson comeback, scoring with less than 10 minutes to play to bring the Crimson to within two.

"Once we scored the fourth and fifth goals, we realized that there was plenty of time on the clock and we could win it," Corkery said. "All we had to do was keep possession down the stretch. Possession was definitely the key."

Corkery pulled Harvard to within one before junior co-captain Ali Harper tied the game, 6-6, to erase the three-goal deficit.

Earlier in the game, however, it did not appear the Crimson would need four unanswered goals in the final 10 minutes to secure the win.

Harvard opened the scoring, taking a surprising 2-0 lead just eight minutes into the first half with goals just 1:14 apart from Frisbie and freshman Katie Shaughnessy.

Harvard led until late in the first half when UMass freshman Lydia Robinson chipped a goal in with 1:21 remaining to tie the game 2-2 heading into halftime.

The Crimson would regain the lead just four minutes into the second half on a goal from sophomore midfielder Gretchen Puttkamer.

The Crimson's advantage, however, would be short-lived.

UMass senior Stephanie Pavlick knotted the game, 3-3, with her second tally of the match at the six-minute mark of the second half.

Then just three minutes later, fellow UMass senior Noelle Gorski gave the Minutemen their first lead of the game, 4-3, 8:58 into the half.

With just over 10 minutes left in regulation, the Minutemen appeared to put the game away with a pair of goals less than two minutes apart.

Junior Rachel Ingraffea scored with 13:13 remaining in the half, and senior Rebecca Minaker added another with 10:37 left to give UMass a commanding 6-3 lead.

Minaker's goal would set the stage for Harvard's dramatic comeback and give the Crimson an added boost in confidence heading into its home opener this Wednesday against Boston College.

The Crimson cruised to an easy 14-8 win over B.C. in the opener a year ago with a pair of hat tricks from Corkery and then-freshman Katharine Burrage.

"I'm very confident personally heading into the B.C. game and a lot of the other players feel the same way," Corkery said. "There is just too much depth and talent on the team this year and we are all very hopeful."