Five Seniors Bolster Women's Lacrosse

In the case of the Harvard women's lacrosse team, the numbers do lie.

The Crimson ended up with an unimpressive 6-9 record, and its 1-6 Ivy record made this year's squad the first in school history to lose six league games.

However, its record fails to reflect the Crimson's potential to be one of the best teams in the league. Although the team ran into difficulties when it faced Ivy opponents, it had no problems dominating nationally ranked teams.

For example, in early April, the team notched a surprising overtime upset of No. 7 B.U. Co-captain Megan Austin sealed the shocking win by netting a goal within the first two minutes of the extra period.

And in its first game of the season, the Crimson had beaten No. 20 UMass in an emotional 9-8 victory.

"It's really frustrating to look at the scores we've had this season and our place in the standings," Austin said after the team's final Ivy contest, a 12-8 loss to Cornell. "I think we're a lot better than that shows. I know for a fact that all of the teams we've played this season have had to take us seriously."

Indeed, Harvard possessed all the tools needed to become one of the nation's powerhouses but often lost concentration after the opening minutes of the game. As a result, opponents often went on scoring runs that sapped the Crimson's momentum and energy and forced Harvard into a deep scoring hole.

However, a look at the Crimson's roster reveals that the team was capable of playing on the level of the nation's best, as exemplified by its win over B.U. early in the season. In co-captain Alli Harper, who won Third-Team All-American honors, the Crimson had a fierce competitor who inspired her teammates with her play on the field and her leadership in the locker room. Harper scored a career-high 51 points this season and also led the Crimson in points, assists and ground balls. Harper was also named to the First-Team All-Ivy and All-Region squads.

In addition to Harper's offensive skills, Austin, senior Lauren Corkey, junior HeatherGotha and sophomore Katie Shaughnessy were also scoring threats on the field. Corkery was second in scoring on the team behind Harper, and Shaughnessy scored in almost every game this season.

The Crimson also possessed a talented defensive corps, which was led by junior Erin Kutner. Kutner was named to the Second All-Ivy Team for her consistently tough and hard-nosed defense. Sophomore goaltender Nora Guyer also turned in an impressive performance at the net and will be expected to continue to improve next season.

The loss of the seniors, however, cannot be underestimated. In addition to losing three of the team's best scorers in Harper, Corkery and Austin, the Crimson will also lose Courtney Leimkuhler and Jennifer Lee, who were both talented scorers with a nose for the net. Leimkuhler, who missed her sophomore season with a hip injury, rebounded to become a potent scoring threat, and Lee was known as having one of the quickest and most accurate shots on the team.

With juniors Hilary Walton and Heather Hussey assuming the team's reins next season with the graduation of Austin and Harper, the Crimson will seek to improve upon its 1-6 Ivy record and capitalize on the team's great potential. With the right pieces in place, Harvard should be able to amass a record that reveals the talent and skills that were buried in this year's disappointing record.