Win Gives Field Hockey Title, NCAA Berth

This one was for all the marbles, and the Crimson field hockey team made sure Columbia didn’t get any of them.

Harvard (11-6, 6-1 Ivy) held the visiting Lions (5-11, 2-5) to just two shots on Saturday, defeating Columbia 2-0 and earning a part of the Ivy League crown for the first time since 1991.

“We took control of our own destiny today, and we really proved that we have earned this,” captain midfielder Kate Gannon said. “It’s so gratifying.”

The game plan crystallized early for the eager Crimson, which learned Friday that Penn’s victory over Princeton gave Harvard a shot to share the Ivy title with the Quakers. A tiebreaker advantage over Ivy rival Penn sealed an automatic NCAA tournament berth for Harvard. The Crimson now has an inside track at being named a host for regional play this weekend when the complete bracket is announced on Tuesday.

“The past two years it’s been really frustrating, because we left it in other people’s hands,” junior midfielder Jen McDavitt said. “It’s just so nice to have it in our control.”

One game away from its first Ivy title in 13 years, an aggressive Crimson offense took no chances against Columbia. Senior midfielder Shelley Maasdorp found the net just six minutes into the contest, recording her 18th goal of the season. Maasdorp rocketed Gannon’s stick stop from a penalty corner into the back of the net on Harvard’s first offensive opportunity of the game.

Maasdorp’s shot would be one of just 11 for the Crimson in the opening half, and Columbia crossed midfield just twice in the game’s first period. Halfway through the first half, Maasdorp fired a through pass into the open field, and charging sophomore forward Gretchen Fuller threatened to make it a quick 2-0 game for the Crimson. But Fuller couldn’t quite catch up to the pass, and Columbia goalkeeper Kristina George swept the ball out of bounds.

Another offensive flurry with 10 minutes remaining gave Harvard three consecutive looks at the net, but the active George made two diving saves to maintain the 1-0 score. On the other side of the field, the Lions would get just one chance at Harvard goalkeeper Aliia Remtilla in the first half.

“We’ve seen teams lose games on one shot,” McDavitt said, “and we didn’t want to give them even that.”

The second half would carry the same theme, as a relentless Harvard offense fired two shots on goal within three minutes. Its efforts opened up the net for McDavitt, whose cross-field shot found the right corner after five minutes of second-half action.

The 2-0 cushion would be more than sufficient against the Lions, whose offensive woes continued against the speedy Harvard defense. Columbia could again muster just one shot in the second period, and Remtilla turned away Jen Cruz’s attempt from the left side.

Harvard continued to pressure the Columbia goal throughout the second half, trying to complement their title-clinching win with a few new Harvard records.

Both McDavitt and Gannon recorded assists on Saturday, breaking the single-season assist record they both tied last week in a win over Dartmouth.

Maasdorp looked to break into the record books herself after her first-half goal left her one shy of Judy Collins’ 1998 Harvard single-season mark. With three minutes remaining in the game, Harvard used a series of penalty corners to give Maasdorp three open looks at the goal. George turned back the Zimbabwe native each time.

“My team worked so hard to give me those shots,” Maasdorp said. “They were trying so hard to do it for a teammate.”

Maasdorp and company tallied seven second half shots on the Columbia goalkeeper, outshooting Columbia 18-2 on the afternoon.

The regular season records won’t fall for Maasdorp, but Saturday’s victory gives the Crimson an NCAA berth for the first time since the 2002 season. The first team to secure a spot in this year’s tournament field, Harvard is riding a three-game winning streak into postseason play.

“We can’t wait to take it out there next week,” McDavitt said. “We’re not ready for anything to be over yet.”