Outshot Crimson Falls to Huskies, 3-1

What a difference a day makes.

Following a one-goal apiece stalemate with San Diego State the previous afternoon, Harvard’s play reached another level Saturday evening at the University of Connecticut, but the 20th-ranked Huskies (1-2-0) were too much for the Crimson (0-1-1) to handle, as the visitors fell 3-1.

“I think it was a dramatic improvement from the one game to the next game, so we’re really coming along,” coach Ray Leone said. “We’re further along than we were at the same time last year...I thought overall, there [were] a lot of good things.”

Proving their lofty preseason ranking was no fluke, the Huskies jumped out to an early lead, netting two goals in a span of just over ten minutes.

UConn’s first score of its home opener came at 5:23, when a Husky free kick attempt was passed off to an attacking teammate, senior Lauren Ebert, who took the cross and quickly found the back of the net.

Crimson senior keeper Lauren Mann’s day would not get any better. UConn sophomore Melissa Busque put a header over the outstretched fingers of Mann, who made seven saves in the match, to give the Huskies a two-goal lead.

“It’s obviously tough, but it’s a good chance for us to play goals down and see if we can respond well,” junior co-captain Gina Wideroff said. “I think we did a pretty good job of responding and not shutting down.”

After Mann was forced to make two clutch saves on a free kick and a dart from close range by Ebert, Harvard cut the deficit in half on sophomore Hana Taiji’s goal late in the first half.

Her first score of her career came in the 43rd minute on a ball deftly flipped over the Husky goalie’s head. Freshman Aisha Price was credited with the assist.

“It was actually a great goal, because we went from one end to the other, with a lot of people touching it before it actually ended up being a goal,” Leone said. “It showed a little more mettle to our team...the game is not over just because you’re down two. I was very pleased to get that goal in the last minute or so of the half.”

The Huskies controlled the ball the majority of the second stanza, launching three straight shots six minutes into the period. All were handled by Mann and the Crimson defense, but their success would be short-lived.

Busque’s efforts at 68:01 turned a two-man trap in the right corner into a third UConn goal when she found an open Linda Ruutu, who then chipped a shot over Mann, sealing the victory for the Huskies.

The 72nd minute found Harvard trying to make a comeback, as freshman Rebecca Millock and junior Katherine Sheeleigh both took their cracks at the goal. Their attempts were stymied by the UConn keeper.

“It just didn’t go in for us,” Leone said. “But we did have a lot better chances than we did the game before [against San Diego State]...it was a great effort for our team.”

In the final moments, a blast by co-captain Lizzy Nichols ricocheted off the crossbar, but the Crimson was unable to capitalize on the rebound.

The hosts took 14 shots in the half to Harvard’s seven and held an 18-13 edge for the full 90 minutes, but the Crimson managed a 7-4 advantage in corner kicks for the match.

Harvard will look for its first win of the season Tuesday afternoon as it returns home to face New Hampshire, a team it has beaten four straight times and in 10 out of the last 11 matchups.

—Staff writer Dennis J. Zheng can be reached at zheng12@college.harvard.edu.