Harvard's Offense Catches Fire in Win

Prior to yesterday, the Harvard field hockey team (3-5, 1-1 Ivy) had scored four goals in its last four games. Last night alone, however, the Crimson racked up four goals in a convincing 4-1 win over Vermont at Jordan Field.

“We came out with a great mental attitude, ready to play, ready to score goals,” sophomore forward Leigh McCoy said.

Early on, the game showed no signs of becoming a blowout. In fact, the Catamounts (5-5, 0-0 America East) were the first team to strike, scoring with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Off a Harvard turnover, Vermont sent the ball ahead to a wide open Maegan Luce. Luce streaked up field on a two-on-one, drawing the defender toward her before sending the ball across the circle to teammate Maddi Martin. Martin gathered the ball directly in front of the net and slipped a shot past Crimson senior goaltender Kylie Stone.

Soon thereafter, Harvard’s offense exploded. The first goal came on a penalty corner with seven minutes remaining in the half. Junior back Elizabeth Goodman-Bacon took the corner, and the ball was passed around to freshman midfielder Carly Dickson at the top of the circle. Dickson ripped a shot that sent Vermont goaltender Brooke Crane diving. Crane managed to deflect the attempt, but Goodman-Bacon swooped in and buried the rebound into the cage for her first goal of the season.

Almost four minutes later, the Crimson struck again. This time, Goodman-Bacon had possession of the ball just over midfield and sent a through ball ahead to McCoy. McCoy raced past the defense and received the pass with only Crane between her and the goal. Crane came out of the net to challenge the attempt, but McCoy simply sprinted around her and backhanded a shot into the net.

“It felt really good to put one in for the team and contribute,” McCoy said.

Harvard closed the first half with a circus play that resulted in its third goal in less than six minutes.

The play began when McCoy shook a defender along the end line and fired an open shot at the goal. Crane blocked the shot, which popped up into the air and bounced back toward McCoy. McCoy swung at the ball and sent it flying past Crane, but the shot hit the far post and ricocheted back in front of the net. In a mêlée in front of the goal, senior back Francine Polet took a shot that was stuffed by the defense before sophomore forward Maggie McVeigh came in and snuck one into the net.

“It was a close call,” McCoy said, “but we luckily had [McVeigh] there to finish the play.”

Midway through the second half, Harvard added one more goal when it capitalized on a penalty corner. Junior midfielder Kristin Bannon took the corner and sent it to McVeigh who shoveled it off to freshman back Georgia McGillivray. McGillivray found Dickson on the left wing, just inside the circle, where the freshman fired a waist-high rocket past Crane.

“The forwards really set the tone,” coach Sue Caples said. “They’re starting to really gel and get in tune with each other.”

The Crimson finished the game with a decisive 16-5 edge in shots, with 13 shots on net, and a 9-1 advantage in corners. Most importantly, however, Harvard set a season high with four goals.

“I thought it was good,” Dickson said. “There were moments that were definitely better than others, and we still have to work on our consistency. But overall, we pulled it out, and that’s all that matters.”

—Staff writer Timothy J. Walsh can be reached at twalsh@fas.harvard.edu.