SEASON RECAP: Crimson Takes League Crown

And it just keeps getting better.

The Harvard women’s soccer team righted the ship in 2007, winning 10 games in its best performance since 2001. Proving that the transformation was no fluke, this year’s squad was even more impressive.

The Crimson (10-3-5, 5-1-1 Ivy) equaled its win total from a year ago while taking the league title, as well as nabbing its first NCAA tournament berth since 2004. It was another huge step in second-year coach Ray Leone’s development of the program, which had last won the Ancient Eight crown in 1999.

Harvard’s season-long journey ran into trouble right from the get-go, as the Crimson dropped its first two contests in California without managing a goal.

But the bonding experience was merely a warm-up for the slew of games left to play. The team’s return back east was accompanied by a six-game unbeaten streak, ignited by a shutout win at New Hampshire and a 2-1 victory over previously-unbeaten Davidson.

“That was definitely great for us, and to get that kind of confidence heading into Ivies was integral to our success,” co-captain Nicole Rhodes said.

The good times kept rolling as the homestand continued, with Harvard battling to a 1-1 deadlock against Wisconsin on Sept. 14 and a 2-1 overtime win against Northeastern three days later.

After a pair of draws on the road against then-No. 12 Boston College and Fairfield, a loss would yet again threaten to derail the team’s season. Defending Ivy champion Penn drilled visiting Harvard in a crippling two-goal shutout on Sept. 27, but the Crimson refused to fold.

“One of our seniors, Rachael Lau, pulled us together and said, ‘Guys, wipe that look of doubt off your face. We can do this,’” junior Christina Hagner said. “...I think what separated us this season is that we played with so much confidence and played like we believed in ourselves—because we did.”

Harvard bounced back in impressive fashion the following week, making Yale its first victim by a score of 3-1.

Seven days later, junior goalkeeper Lauren Mann’s six saves paved the way for a tremendous 3-0 win over Cornell, which was hapless against Harvard’s 20 shots.

The Crimson then extended its winning streak at home to four games, putting up four goals against Maine on Oct. 15. Four different players—including Ivy League Rookie of the Year Melanie Baskind and Hagner—got on the scoresheet that day.

The Crimson went down to Brown on Oct. 18 and came away with a 3-0 win. Two days later, Harvard finished off its non-conference schedule with a 2-1 victory at Holy Cross for its fifth-straight victory.

Another 2-1 win—amidst very stormy conditions—at No. 20 Princeton on Oct. 25 moved Harvard into first place in the league. Jumping ahead with a pair of goals in the first six minutes, the Crimson kept its focus through a 70-minute postponement and held off a desperate Tiger offense to clinch the win.

The next weekend’s contest against Dartmouth was looking grim until First Team All-Ivy sophomore Katherine Sheeleigh found the net late in the second half to give her team a 1-1 tie, setting up Harvard for a chance at the Ivy League Championship.

As league play came to a close, Harvard found itself tied with Columbia and Princeton with a conference record of 4-1-1. A dramatic double-overtime win over the Lions gave Harvard its eighth league title. Both defenses held strong until, with nine seconds left in the second extra period, All-Ivy First-Team defender Lizzy Nichols snapped the 1-1 tie, nailing a penalty kick in front of a raucous home crowd.

The opening round of the NCAA Tournament pitted Harvard against cross-town rival Northeastern. The Crimson held a 2-1 lead in the second half, but the Huskies went on to win the game in penalty kicks, 4-2.

—Staff writer Dennis J. Zheng can be reached at dzheng12@college.harvard. edu.