Unbeaten Streak Ends in Philly

All good things must come to an end.

On Saturday night, Harvard (3-3-3, 0-1-0 Ivy), for the first time in six games, lost a game.

Penn (4-3-1, 1-0-0 Ivy) dominated on the offensive end, putting two of its 12 shots past stalwart Crimson keeper Lauren Mann to secure a 2-0 victory in its Ivy opener.

The Quakers looked strong in their first Ivy game as defending conference champions, out shooting Harvard 12-4 and tallying a staggering seven corners compared with just two for the Crimson.

This has been an ongoing struggle for the Crimson—its strong defense cannot withstand the opponent’s ongoing barrage while the offense is failing to control in the attacking third.

“We definitely have to work on the attacking third,” Crimson coach Ray Leone said. “We need to work on that, we’re struggling on that final part to get free opportunities.”

The defense is doing all it can to maintain. After holding then-No.12 Boston College to just one score on an astounding 12 shots on goal last weekend, Mann came back with 10 saves in Saturday’s game. And the Quakers would have scored more had it not been for a stellar save off a header in the 47th minute.

“The defense is doing a good job of forcing them to shoot wide and deflecting shots,” Mann said.

The team is relying on its keepers for now, but the team also knows that to win in the Ivy, the Crimson must step up its play.

“The back four and the keepers have been the backbone of the team,” Leone said. “[They’re] absorbing so much pressure like they have at the BC game.”

Despite the defense’s efforts, Penn tallied a goal in each half to secure its victory. In the first frame, the Quakers knocked in a cross from the left side of the box 18:14 into the game. In the second half, Mann kept the Crimson in it for a while, but in the 75th minute, Penn scored on a breakaway.

Harvard had opportunities of its own, but they came few and far between. In the ninth minute of the first half, freshman standout Melanie Baskind hit the crossbar. At the end of the game, sophomore Katherine Sheeleigh ripped a shot off a corner kick that sailed just high.

For the future, the team will concentrate on connecting on these chances.

“One of the main things is continuing down the end line, not passing back,” Mann said. “Our forwards and midfielders need to feed the ball in and get more shots.”

What could have been a bigger problem—the conditions—wasn’t. There was a 100 percent chance of rain in Philadelphia on Saturday, but the worst the Crimson faced was a light drizzle in the second half.

There were times when Mann struggled to corral a ball or two, being forced to punch out others, but for the most part, the team was able to play at a normal pace.

“The conditions were surprising, it just drizzled in the second half,” Leone said. “We were able to play fine.”

Harvard continues its Ivy slate against rival Yale next Saturday at Ohiri Field.

—Staff writer Walter E. Howell can be reached at wehowell@fas.harvard.edu.