Field Hockey Back on Track with Win Over Dartmouth

The Crimson (8-8, 4-2 Ivy) went up early and dominated against Dartmouth (5-10, 1-5), sharing the lead for less than two minutes and eventually pulling away, 3-1, to stay in the hunt for a share of the Ivy League title.

Freshman back Maggie McVeigh kicked off the effort when she slammed in the first goal six minutes into the game.

Though recorded as unassisted, the first goal—like the entire game—was a team effort.

McVeigh’s first shot drew Dartmouth goalie Ashley Heist out of the cage. The ball rolled to sophomore midfielder Kristin Bannon, who passed it to junior forward Tami Jafar. Jafar’s ensuing shot was deflected back to McVeigh, who knocked home the ball to get Harvard on the scoreboard.

“We came out and did what we planned to do and went through with our game plan,” co-captain Jana Berglund said. “A lot of players stepped up, and we had a lot of attacks.”

Junior goalie Kylie Stone delivered four important saves over the course of play—the low number a testament to the rarity of Dartmouth opportunities on this soggy day.

“Kylie had some really good saves with strong clears,” head coach Sue Caples said.

Though the field was damp, the rain held up and permitted the teams to play a full game between showers.

In a play following a penalty corner and combining two fakes, freshman Chloe Keating blasted the ball past Dartmouth goalie Ashley Heist to give Harvard a 2-1 lead with six minutes left in the first half.

Junior forward Kayla Romanelli added an insurance goal in the second half.

Dartmouth grabbed a tie for a mere 100 seconds of the game, sneaking a goal past Stone with seven minutes left in the first half.

The Crimson outshot its opponent, leading 15-8 in shots and 10-5 in shots on goal. The difference was especially marked in the first half, in which Harvard led by tallies of 11-3 and 8-3 in shots and shots on goal, respectively.

“We had a lot of opportunities in the first half,” Caples said. “When we have that many, we need to not be satisfied, and we need to have more to show for it.”

Scoring opportunities were much fewer and far between in the slow-paced second half.

“We dominated possession-wise and territorially in the second half, but we had fewer opportunities,” Caples said. “It got a little scrappy in the second half.”

In fact, the ball rarely crossed the midfield line after the break.

According to Caples, the Crimson’s strength was derived from good ball movement, control, and speed, especially in the circle. Interceptions parlayed into counterattacks or tackles.

This important win sets up Harvard for title contention.

“Right now, what’s in our control is to finish second,” Caples said. “If some other things happen, we want to be in a position to be a part of [the title].”

Looking to the standings, a win against Columbia next Friday would guarantee the Crimson a second-place finish in the Ivy League. On the same day, should third-place Penn defeat first-place Princeton, Harvard would share the championship title with the Tigers.

“We know we have to win all the [league contests] we have left,” Berglund said. “You never know what’s going to happen in an Ivy game.”

Seniors Berglund, Siobhan Connolly, Devon Shapiro, and Tamara Sobek-Rosknick were honored in their final home game.

“They’ve all contributed a tremendous amount to this program and provided great leadership over the four years,” Caples said. “You’d like them to have one more year. You miss the personalities.”

“I’m just glad we went out with a win,” Berglund said.