F. Hockey Wins Ivy Opener

Even though the Harvard field hockey team scored only one goal on Saturday, its tenacity allowed that goal to hold up in a 1-0 victory against Brown at Jordan Field.

In their first Ivy game of the season, the Crimson (2-2, 1-0) and the Bears (0-3, 0-1) battled for possession of the ball in a game in which neither team maintained control for extended periods of time.

Junior forward Philomena Gambale scored the lone goal less than ten minutes into the game. Taking a pass from senior forward Heather Hussey up the right side, Gambale maneuvered into the center of the field and hit a hard drive for her first goal of the season.

Its always good to have high intensity, especially early in the game to intimidate the [opposing] team, Gambale said. We had a lot of great opportunities, and we capitalized there.

With 13:01 left in the first half, senior back Katie Turck was awarded a penalty shot, but Browns freshman goalie Kathryn Noe stopped the shot. Noe ultimately made six saves in her first start.

Brown had two opportunities to tie the score at the end of the first half but was thwarted by the Crimson defense. Awarded a penalty corner with 17 seconds left in the half, the Bears let the time run out before inboundingthe ball. Harvard broke up the play but committed another penalty in the process, giving Brown a second corner with no time left on the clock.

Junior Cory Pelletiers shot was intercepted and cleared out of the circle to end the half.

The second half began with the Crimson offense assuming control. Harvard failed to capitalize on three corners in a period of slightly over 10 minutes. The remainder of the game was a back-and-forth battle between thetwo teams.

There was not a lot of flow to that game, said Coach Sue Caples. It was physical and choppy.

Whenever the Brown offense threatened, the Harvard defense was able to regroup. In her first shutout effort of the season, sophomore goalie Katie Zacarian made six saves, including a full layout stop on a shot by Browns freshman forward Tess Belmont.

We maintained control and poise from the opening minute to the final minute of the game, Zacarian said. Though it was back and forth at times, we definitely kept our cool.

With this win over Brown, Harvard snaps a two-game losing streak and evens its record to 2-2. By earning a win in its first Ivy game, the Crimson is one step closer to its goal of winning the Ivy Championship.

Weve been working hard, and we needed a win, Caples said. It makes us feel better and it was uplifting for us. It was huge, and now were 1-0 in the Ivies.

The win also provided an important mental boost for a team that remains mindful of the world outside of athletics.

Its a great feeling, especially after the tragedy on September 11, Gambale said. It really gives us a boost of morale.

The Crimson will attempt to win its second straight when it hosts UMass on Wednesday.