Field Hockey Tops Penn in Ivy Debut

Welcome back, Kate.

Junior Kate McDavitt, playing in her first game since freshman season, needed just ten minutes to score Harvard’s first two goals in a 5-0 season-opening victory over hapless Vermont, who was outshot 29-1 by the Crimson.

“She’s Kate,” was all Harvard coach Sue Caples needed to say to sum up the performance. “She’s a tremendous player. She makes everyone around her better. Lucky for us.”

Harvard’s Ivy opener at Penn yesterday provided tougher competition, however, as the Quakers held a 2-1 lead late into the second and kept McDavitt off the scoreboard. But in the end, Penn couldn’t control Harvard’s much-improved corner battery, and that proved to be the difference in a 4-2 Crimson win.

The victory kept Harvard (2-0, 1-0 Ivy) atop the Ivies along with Dartmouth and eight-time defending champion Princeton, who each won their Ivy openers.

Harvard 4, Penn 2

Caples had promised efficient Harvard penalty corner execution this season. Late in the second half, her team delivered against the Quakers (0-2, 0-1).

Of all the Crimson’s corner weapons, the straight shot by junior Liz Andrews proved most effective. An Andrews shot, deflected in by junior forward Mina Pell with about 15 minutes left, broke a 2-2 tie, and an Andrews score a few minutes later added the insurance.

Senior forward Philomena Gambale scored Harvard’s first two goals, the first coming off a pass from Andrews to give the Crimson a 1-0 lead just eight minutes into the contest. But Penn answered shortly thereafter, scoring on a set play from the top of the circle.

“From the forward line, we’ve got to tackle back immediately,” Pell said referring to the breakdowns that led the goal. “We’ve got to play defense all over the field.”

The Quakers went up 2-1 with just under 20 minutes left after scoring through the backdoor on a penalty corner. But that score was quickly answered by Gambale, who scored off a feed from sophomore Tiffany Egnaczyk. The Crimson never trailed again.

The victory was harder to come by than a year ago, when Harvard defeated Penn 3-0 at Jordan Field to close out the season. This year’s Penn team, which returned seven starters and its two leading scorers, had the advantage of home field. The Quakers play on dry turf, which slowed the Crimson’s attack and forced the team to utilize one-touch passing instead of dribbling.

The victory was Harvard’s sixth in a row, dating back to a four-game win streak to close out last season.

Harvard 5, Vermont 0

Within five minutes of the season opener, the Crimson was promptly reminded that two McDavitts were better than none.

Freshman Jen McDavitt, though not credited with the assist, helped set up older sister Kate in the circle, where she could not be stopped. The elder McDavitt skirted around a pack of defenders and fired a forceful shot inside the right post for a 1-0 lead.

Five minutes later, off the penalty corner, McDavitt found the net again. This time she was set up by Pell, who had retrieved a rebound from a straight shot by sophomore Shelley Maasdorp.

McDavitt, for all her early brilliance, was held off the scoreboard for the rest of the day. She had worked her way back into game-shape slowly, and had only managed practice every other day during the preseason.

“She’s a better player than she was as a freshman, but we’re just going to pace her and ... bring her back a little bit more each game,” Caples said.

Harvard’s third goal was a result of an extra effort by Pell, who won a loose ball in the circle and drew a stroke, which Gambale buried to put the Crimson up 3-0.

The Crimson effectively iced the game with an Egnaczyk goal 42 seconds later for a 4-0 lead.

The Crimson’s pace slowed a bit in the second half, but Harvard did manage one goal—a score deflected in by Jen McDavitt off a corner by none other than Andrews, whose straight shot would carry Harvard to victory against Penn two days later.