OT Heartbreak For Harvard

It was tough image to behold on the scoreboard—2:26 remaining in triple overtime—Harvard 7, Visitor 8.

After watching the men's water polo team push their bodies to the limit and implausibly comeback from a six-goal deficit in the second half, the surveyors of fate decided to deal a particularly crippling blow to the Crimson’s season.

In its last regular season game, Harvard continued its rivalry with the No.19 Brown Bears at home in Blodgett Pool. Looking to avenge last year’s 9-4 loss in the semifinals of the Northern championships, the Crimson battled through three overtimes to avoid the retelling of last year’s unfavorable script.

The unlikely script began in the fourth. Sophomore Spencer Livingston, reaching into his And-One bag of tricks, scored a backhand scorcher (with two defenders on his back) in the beginning of the fourth to cut the Bear lead to four.

The scintillating goal sparked the crowd to life as chants of Harvard reverberated through Blodgett.

“We really love it when the crowd comes out in numbers,” Livingston said. “We built off their energy and they definitely got us back into the game.”

Facing a three-goal deficit with a little over three minutes to play, the Crimson needed a spark to turn the game in its favor.

Immediately after Coach Erik Farrar’s well-timed timeout, sophomore Egen Atkinson asserted his presence in the pool by drawing a timely penalty. The successful attempt cut the lead back down to two and spelled the end of Brown’s dominant play in the water.

Courageously led by junior goalkeeper Jay Connolly—who recorded 15 saves on the night—and helped by a defense that finally found its bearings, Harvard shut out the Bears in the final period.

Freshman Bret Voith scored a vital goal to bring the lead down to one, and with under a minute remaining, the Crimson drew another clutch foul.

Farrar, who refused to comment on thegame, had a stellar coaching performance, inspiring his team during another timeout, this time with only 32 seconds remaining.

Harvard broke from the timeout and steadily built up its play, drawing the Brown defense out with precise passing. With 17 seconds left, and a lively Crimson crowd waiting with bated breath, senior co-captain Chris Ludwick stepped up and scored a tremendous equalizer to send Blodgett into an uproar.

“In the second half, we got accustomed to their defense,” sophomore Spencer Livingston said. “We couldn’t hit the goal in the first half, but once we started playing calmer, we got our offense back.”

Unfortunately, the dramatics came to a close during the three overtime period. Both teams, visibly exhausted, failed to attack with the same veraciousness they displayed during regulation.

That fateful third overtime period however, will leave a bitter taste in Harvard’s mouths over the next few days.

“It’s more of a mentally defeating loss,” Livingston said. “That’s not our personality [the play in the first half]. We’ll be pretty sour from our loss, but we saw what we can do in the second half.”

Harvard will have to avoid lethargic starts in its next games, as it prepares for the Northern and Eastern tournaments.

Having proved capable of competing with the nation’s best teams, the Crimson has struggled at times to start with the same intensity it typically shows in the second half of games.

The team has nine days before the Northern championships, followed by another two week rest for its final tournament of the season, the Eastern championships.

“It was a rough shooting night,” Livingston said. “But thanks to the fans for getting us back into it at the end.”

—Staff writer Mauricio A. Cruz can be reached at cruz2@fas.harvard.edu.