Totman, W. Soccer Edge Hartford in 4OT

STORRS, Conn.—It took over 137 minutes and four overtimes for last night’s NCAA first-round game between the Harvard women’s soccer team and Hartford to be decided, but the ending was worth the effort for the Crimson.

Thanks to junior forward Beth Totman’s sixth goal of the season, Harvard ended the longest game in school history in victorious, dramatic fashion.

Sophomore midfielder Katie Westfall started the game-winning attack from midfield by sending a long pass to junior forward Joey Yenne, who controlled it just inside the 18. As the Hartford defense converged on her, Yenne turned her back to the net and sent the ball across to an oncoming Totman.

Totman had an open look at the net, and she buried it right side past Hartford goalkeeper Anne Lise Nilssen to give the Crimson (11-5) the 1-0 victory over the Hawks (15-6).

“Joey slipped me the ball, and I was wide open,” Totman said. “She kind of made it easy for me, and I made sure it was going to go in.”

Harvard, ranked No. 23 in the nation, now moves on to the second round of the NCAA tournament tomorrow at noon, when it will face No. 13 Connecticut (17-5).

Totman also scored the game-winner in Harvard’s 1-0 regular season victory over the Hawks. As in that contest, she made good on her only golden opportunity yesterday. It was the second year in a row that the Crimson ended the Hawks’ NCAA run.

And just like last year, Harvard managed to move past its late-regular-season woes and regain its composure in time for the NCAA tournament.

“After the last game [a 3-1 loss to Penn], we felt that [heart] was a piece that was missing,” said Harvard Coach Tim Wheaton. “We talked about that all week. And today I haven’t seen a team play with this much heart in a long time, and I’m really proud of them.”

Three of the more tangible keys to Harvard’s victory were the backfield, which did not allow one easy opportunity all night; its fitness; and its expanded substitution rotation, which kept the Harvard’s players’ legs fresh throughout game.

“We’ve been working really hard on fitness and focus, and I think that showed today,” Wheaton said.

The young Crimson backs—freshman Liza Barber and sophomores Lauren Cozzolino and Caitlin Fisher—turned several seemingly dangerous Hartford breaks into harmless throw-ins, and headed every high ball directed their way into the opposite direction without fail.

Freshman Falyne Chave was equally effective when she stepped in for Barber, who left due to injury.

“Our defense has been great all year,” Wheaton said. “A freshman, Falyne Chave, coming into a game like this—stepping in for an injured Liza Barber—I thought she did a great job. Cheryl made great saves and organized well They just played with great heart.”

Fisher stopped one of Hartford’s best scoring chances 20 minutes into the game when Hartford forward Tini Lyng appeared to have a clean breakaway. Fisher rushed back and slide-tackled her just inside the 18.

Hawk junior Sandra Kayulu also hit the post one the minute later.

The backs prevented junior goalkeeper Cheryl Gunther from having to make any more than four saves on the day. None of those stops was bigger than her save when Lyng had an open shot on net from just inside the 18 in the third overtime session.

“[Lyng’s shot] actually looked tougher than it was,” Gunther said. “It was a rocket, but it was pretty close to me thankfully. The defenders were right on her tail, so she didn’t have much time.”

Just as in her last game against Hartford, Gunther didn’t back down when the Hawks collided with her out of the net, with sophomore Jeanette Akerlund being a repeat offender. Gunther always hurt them more than they hurt her.

As in the last game with Hartford, the Hawks had players go down with injury on several occasions. Before the end, they had lost Kayulu, the America East Player of the Year, and Malin Engman, the America East Rookie of the Year.

Lyng’s shot on goal was one of few scoring opportunities that the Hawks had put together since halftime. The Crimson, thanks largely to its fitness and its rounds of substitutions, managed to control the ball for the bulk of the overtimes.

“I think the way Tim was subbing was ideal for the forwards because this is a game where we were going to have to work the hardest,” Totman said. “I think every time he made a sub it picked the level up even more, so it was very effective.”

Harvard kept Yenne and freshman Emily Colvin on the bench to start the game, and cycled them in for co-captain Caitlin Costello and Totman.

“We felt like we had the players to do it and we wanted to do it,” Wheaton said. “Especially as the game goes along, fresh legs make a difference. And they’re all talented. I don’t think there was a noticeable difference between the different players on the field.”

In all, the Crimson had only two shots on goal, but several scoring opportunities. Colvin, for one, nearly broke free on more than one occasion.

One of the Crimson’s best chances came with 15 seconds left in the first overtime, when sophomore midfielder Katie Hodel forced a throw-in deep in Hartford territory and then threw the ball to Westfall with space in the box. She sent the ball to Yenne, but neither of them had really controlled the ball, and Yenne volleyed it over the net.

Harvard had struggled to finish through the final six games of the season, when it went just 2-4. But its defense kept the team in the game long enough to finally get the golden goal. Including its 1-0 overtime loss to UConn on Oct. 24, the Crimson had clocked over four hours of playing time at Morrone Stadium before finally scoring.

The Crimson earned the right to a rematch with UConn, who coasted over Sacred Heart, 3-0, earlier yesterday afternoon.

Harvard will have to recover quickly from the physical drain of yesterday’s game, but Wheaton is confident in the team’s fitness. He expects that the taste of victory last night has left the Crimson wanting more.

“I think there’s an emotional side to it too which, I think is in our favor,” Wheaton said. “We left the field, going, ‘Let’s go, let’s play more.’ And we’re ready for it.”