First-Place Crimson Looks To Tame Tigers

With three matches left in its season and only one point separating first from third place, the Harvard women’s soccer team looks to defeat Princeton and send the Tigers back home with a loss for the fourth time in five years.

The Crimson (9-4-1, 3-0-1 Ivy) takes on Princeton (4-8-1, 1-3-0) at Soldiers Field Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium tomorrow night as it goes for its third consecutive win.

Currently atop the Ivy League, Harvard looks to continue its early season success and recapture the Ivy title that eluded it in 2010.

“I think this season has been interesting,” co-captain Melanie Baskind said. “Overall, it has been great so far. We’re doing really well. We’re continually improving, and I can’t complain, but we definitely have a long way to go. We’re just trying to keep our heads on straight and take it one game at a time.”

In order to stay at its current ranking, the Crimson needs to pull out a strong performance against the Tigers, a team that, though struggling early in league play, beat higher-seeded Columbia last weekend.

“They’re a fantastic team,” Baskind said. “We’re expecting their best. We’re trying to rival the competition that they are going to bring, as well as their competitive energy. It’ll be two really good teams going at each other—it’s going to be a great game.”

Harvard coach Ray Leone emphasized Baskind’s point, discussing the dominance of Princeton’s offense.

“We’re going to have to play very, very well to be successful against Princeton,” Leone said. “They’re an outstanding team and, I think, have scored 11 goals in the last three games [before Oct. 18].”

Leone was correct. Against Francis Marion, Lehigh, and Columbia, the Tigers notched six, one, and four goals, respectively, followed by a blowout win over Utah Valley on Tuesday, in which the Tigers scored another five.

Princeton’s offense stems largely from junior forward Jen Hoy and freshman midfielder Lauren Lazo. In the last two games alone, Hoy has scored three goals, the most on the team.

Lazo has also provided her share of goals, finding the net before the eight-minute mark in three out of the last four matches.

To compete against this offensive firepower, Harvard will need its goalkeepers to be on their game, including freshman Bethany Kanten, who received Ivy Co-Rookie of the Week honors last week.

“We have a great goalkeeping tandem,” Leone said. “All of them have played, and all of them have done well. [Kanten], for example, has improved throughout the season, and we’re really pleased with where she is right now.”

Kanten agreed with Leone, citing the importance of the goalkeeper’s role in keeping the overall group intensity high.

“I think it’s really important for me to keep the energy of the whole team up,” Kanten said. “I [play] a big part in communicating with the team and setting a tone for the game.”

When Harvard has the ball, Baskind leads both her team and the league in points, assists, and shots, totaling 20, 8, and 46, respectively.

The senior, who has already tallied six scores, is three away from becoming fifth all-time for the Crimson in career goals.

“I’m really just trying to combine with my teammates and do what I can when I have the ball,” Baskind said. “I’m aiming to help out the team as much as I can and just continue to play our game.”

In a matchup featuring offensive prowess on both sides, energy is sure to be high. Despite rumors of bad blood between the teams, neither Harvard players nor coach would refer to this as a further incentive to come out firing.

“It’s just historic school rivalry,” Leone said. “That’s it. I respect them 100 percent, and hopefully, they feel the same about us.”

Tomorrow’s match will hold great importance, as the standings of the Ivy League are still completely up in the air. With three games left in the season, each match is crucial.

“I think that Princeton is going to be a really strong team,” Kanten said. “They will definitely have a lot of energy coming out against us. We just have to be prepared for the fights that we know they are going to bring.”