Caroline Mullahy Sets Ivy League Assist Record as Harvard Women’s Lacrosse Falls to No. 21 Brown

Captain Caroline Mullahy set the Ivy League record for most assists, tallying her 128th successful feed during Harvard’s tight battle against the Brown Bears on Saturday afternoon. The Crimson fought hard for a win against the Bears, who upset Harvard’s historic rivals, the No. 10 Yale Bulldogs, dramatically last weekend. Despite outshooting Brown 30-19, the Crimson were unable to record the upset and fell 12-10 in Providence.

Thanks to intense offensive pressure, Harvard (6-4, 1-2 Ivy League) boasted an early lead against Brown (7-2, 2-1 Ivy League) in the first quarter of play. Freshman Tori Blaser snagged the first draw control of the contest and pushed the ball upfield, toward junior Charlotte Hodgson. Hodgson drew a free position opportunity and delivered on the shot, lighting up the scoreboard for the Crimson.

The Bears struck back quickly, tallying their first and last goal of the quarter. Hodgson and her team responded by securing the draw and getting the ball to Mullahy, who expertly fed it to Hannah Shiels for a goal.

Harvard then relied on the Mullahy-Hodgson combo again, as Hodgson set up her captain for a goal on a great cut, setting the score at 3-1. After Brown collected the draw, on the defensive side of the field, a huge save from the Crimson’s goaltender, Lizzie Francioli, led to a beautiful clearing play.

The Bears’ defensive unit, contending against Harvard’s rapid clear, was cited with a green card, giving the visiting team a woman-up opportunity. Blaser, taking full advantage of her frantic defender, scored the last goal of the quarter.

During the first fifteen minutes of play, the Crimson outshot the Bears 10-1 and dominated draw controls. By repeatedly securing the draw, Harvard was able to accelerate its offensive pressure and force the home team to scramble defensively.

In the second quarter, Brown was much stronger within the circle. By winning the first two draws of the quarter, the Bears were able to notch two quick goals, closing the score gap to 4-3. Brown won the next draw as well, but then Harvard’s senior defender Anna Andrews forced a turnover and accelerated the ball back into Harvard’s offensive territory.

The Crimson’s offense was stalled by Brown’s stout defensive unit, which had clearly cleaned up its performance from the first quarter. The Bears prohibited Harvard from scoring, causing a violation of the shot clock and putting the ball back into Brown’s possession.

Brown was able to clear the ball, despite Harvard’s aggressive ride. However, Francioli’s quick stick prevented the Bears from evening the score. The goaltender intercepted the ball and sent it back upfield during another stellar clear.

Capitalizing on the momentum, sophomore Grace Mullahy scored for the Crimson, extending the lead to 5-3.

Then, after another caused turnover from Fancioli, sophomore Stella Shea, the hero who scored Harvard’s overtime game-winner against the UConn Huskies, tallied her 10th goal of the season on a free-position opportunity.

The Bears were able to notch one more goal in the half, but at the end of the first 30 minutes of play, the score read 6-4, still in favor of the Crimson.

Within the first three minutes of the second half, the home team evened the playing field, firing two quick goals past Harvard’s defensive unit. The second half of play marked a rapid change in pace for the Bears, who seemed to get more comfortable despite Harvard’s continued pressure on the ball handlers.

That being said, Grace Mullahy, assisted by Captain Annabel Child, helped her team regain a 7-6 lead as she scored her second of the afternoon.

Brown quickly scored another equalizer and won the following draw. However, Harvard’s senior defender Grace Taylor caused a turnover and cleared the ball to her offense.

This time, Caroline Mullahy, continuing her historic game, scored the go-ahead goal for the Crimson.

In the dwindling minutes of the quarter, Brown was able to tally two more quick goals, taking the lead for the first time in the contest. At the end of the quarter, the score read 9-8 in favor of the Bears.

The third quarter was tough for Harvard, which got outscored 5-2. That being said, despite faltering on the scoreboard, the Crimson outshot the Bears 6-5. The difference between the two teams seemed to be shot placement, which continues to haunt the Harvard team. Brown fired all five of its shots on the net, whereas the Crimson only placed four shots on the net.

In the fourth quarter, Harvard showed true grit. Determined to mount a comeback, the Crimson did not slow down in the final minutes of play. The Bears scored their 10th goal early, and Harvard responded a minute later, as Caroline Mullahy dished the ball to Shea, who, along with both Mullahys and Blaser, scored two goals during the contest. The game remained close.

With the assist to Shea, Caroline Mullahy set the new Ivy League conference record for the most career assists. Shea’s goal marked the 128th helper that Mullahy has notched during her impressive Harvard career.

Brown’s coaching staff, concerned by Harvard’s visible success in igniting a comeback effort, called a timeout. The break squashed the Crimson’s momentum and set Brown up for another two goals.

In response, Harvard’s Head Coach Devon Wills called a timeout of her own, ending the Bears’ hot streak. Although Brown was able to regain possession in the following draw, an excellent caused turnover from Shea put the ball back in the hands of the Crimson.

After Harvard’s defense completed a clean clear, Wills called a second timeout.

As the two teams took to the field again, Blaser ripped a quick shot, but it was blocked by Brown’s goalkeeper. The freshman scooped up the rebound and earned a free position shot, which she proceeded to fire home.

Although Captain Charley Meier and Blaser both flung a few more shots towards the net, the Harvard team was unable to complete the comeback. The final score read 10-12 in favor of the Bears.

Despite the loss, the Crimson celebrated Caroline Mullahy and her incredible record-setting achievement. Her notable assisting efforts prove how selfless of a player she is, an invaluable trait to have in a Captain both on and off the field.

Looking ahead, Harvard will set its sights on the No. 15 University of Pennsylvania Quakers, who are currently undefeated in the Ivy League after dominating Columbia 18-7 on Saturday. The Quakers will prove to be tough opponents for the Crimson, as they have had extremely close games against multiple top-ranked opponents, including an overtime loss against No. 2 Johns Hopkins and a 13-12 loss to No. 4 Florida. Penn also beat No. 18 Loyola Maryland 12-10 just last week.

This season, Harvard has proved that it can compete with excellent teams. However, as intra-Ivy League play ramps up and the tournament draws closer, it is critical to earn some in-league wins to get a bid. The Crimson will need to be ranked within the top four teams in the league–currently Princeton, Penn, Brown, and Cornell–to earn a spot in the competitive Ivy League Tournament.

Harvard faces off against the the Penn Quakers at Jordan Field at noon on Apr. 5th, streaming on ESPN+.

– Staff Writer Isabel C. Smail can be reached at isabel.smail@thecrimson.com.