Harvard Shut Out By BU, Takes Third Loss of Season

After dropping its last two matches, the Harvard women’s soccer team looked for a win against Boston University (4-5-0) yesterday afternoon.

Unfortunately for the Crimson, the third time was not the charm, as it was defeated, 3-0, by the visiting Terriers.

Despite several solid goal attempts, Harvard was shut out by the combined goalkeeping powers of freshman Kelly King and junior Alice Binns.

The Crimson opened the game with a promising start: firing off a shot just 12 seconds after the initial whistle.

Other close goal attempts were made by captain Katherine Sheeleigh, junior Melanie Baskind, and sophomore Alexandra Conigliaro inside the box, but each chance was spoiled by King.

BU forcefully responded in the 20th minute, as junior Jessica Luscinski took advantage of a pass from teammate Shauna Kelleher and slipped one past Crimson goalie Jessica Wright.

Wright, a freshman, recorded seven saves on the game and her first collegiate start.

“We started out doing some good things,” coach Ray Leone said. “It just wasn’t going in for us.”

The loss comes off the heels of a tough weekend for Harvard, which fell to Central and South Florida, 3-0 and 2-1, respectively.

With a 1-3-1 record as conference play approaches, the Crimson is looking for a change in momentum.

“It’s frustrating,” Baskind said. “It’s becoming a bit of a habit for us to start out weaker and improve as the season goes on.”

During the 2009 season, Harvard had been on a four-game losing streak, including a 1-0 loss at Boston University, before exploding onto the Ivy League scene with six straight wins and eventually, an Ivy League title.

Still, it doesn’t make the loss yesterday any easier.

Although Harvard stayed even with the Terriers on corner kicks, both earning six, BU had a 22-16 shot advantage over the Crimson.

In addition to the opening goal by Luscinski, the Terriers were able to put two more shots in the back of the net.

To give BU a dominant 2-0 lead in the beginning of the second half, Lisa Kevorkian scored off a shot from the right side of the field, placing the ball into the left corner of the post.

“Goals always change the game,” Leone said. “Especially when we were down two early in the second half.”

Brittany Heist struck the final blow against Harvard with less than 10 minutes to play.

The junior took advantage of a corner kick placed into the box by Kylie Strom, heading the ball just beyond the reach of Wright.

Earlier in the second half, Wright made an impressive save on another corner kick, tipping the shot just over the upper post.

Like in the first half, Harvard had a number of close attempts in the second.

With just under 25 minutes left in the game, Sheeleigh nearly put the Crimson on the scoreboard, only to be stopped by Binns.

Freshman Elizabeth Weisman also had a scoring opportunity in the waning minutes of the game. Weisman was able to beat the goalie on a breakaway, but a Terrier defender squandered her shot attempt.

“The score didn’t represent the way our team played in this game,” Baskind said. “In the last few games we just haven’t been able to finish.”

Baskind and Sheeleigh led the Harvard offense, each recording four shots on goal.

Despite the loss, the Crimson remains confident in its ability to perform, and succeed, in the upcoming Ivy season.

“We’re not ready yet [for Ivy League competition],” Leone said. “But we will be. [The team] can dig down, they can do it.”

Harvard has one more non-conference contest against Rhode Island at home this weekend before opening Ivy League play against Penn next week.

The team may be off to a rough beginning to the season, but after winning back-to-back Ivy League titles in 2008 and 2009, don’t count the Crimson out yet.

For Leone, it’s less about titles and individual wins than it is about effort.

“I want them to improve every day and give what they’ve got,” Leone said. “If they give everything they have, I’ll be happy.”

Yesterday’s loss could end up being the Crimson’s gain.

—Staff writer B. Marjorie Gullick can be reached at gullick@college.harvard.edu.