Crimson, Mann Outlast St. Mary’s Attack

Although yesterday’s game showed that the young Harvard women’s soccer team is still learning, one player—first-year keeper Lauren Mann—took the opposition to school.

The freshman posted the first shutout of her young career in helping the Crimson (0-5-1, 0-0-0 Ivy) post a much-needed 0-0 tie against St. Mary’s (1-5-2) in its final match at the Harvard Invitational.

“The freshmen are stepping into a huge role for us,” captain Laura Odorczyk said. “[Mann] is especially dominating for us and coming up very big this year.”

The lack of goals, however, did not signify a lack of scoring opportunities. Harvard controlled the ball for much of the game, keeping possession and creating opportunities just outside the box, while the Gaels persistently counteracted to challenge Mann.

“Our defense was solid, but [St. Mary’s] was really good at sending those through balls into the box,” Mann said. “Against Northeastern the team just had one one-on-one opportunity after another.”

During the first half, Mann shined against the counterattack attempts, coming off her line to make three key stops on possible breakaways. Mann also came up with a diving save on a shot from six feet out during the 26th minute, deflecting the point-blank St. Mary’s strike out wide.

While Mann was quiet during the second half and first overtime, she once again came up big in the second extra frame, this time with five seconds left in the game.

Gael striker Mika Matsui broke through and seemed to have a wide open net. The Crimson’s sixth straight defeat seemingly in hand, Mann lunged out and deflected the possible game-winner. Time expired with Matsui on the ground and the shutout assured.

“We lost in overtime on Friday and it was the same kind of ball that beat us,” Mann recounted. “I said, this is not happening again.”

It was a different story for Harvard on the offensive end of the field. Despite controlling possession and outplaying the Gaels, the Crimson was unable to capitalize by putting one in the back of the net.

The best opportunity for Harvard came in the 76th minute, when a precise ball down the line from freshman Elise Sherman found sophomore Erin Wylie in the box. Wylie’s pin-point cross hit freshman Christina Hagner in stride for a one-time rip that the St. Mary’s keeper grabbed out of the air for a spectacular save.

“We’re trying to get goals in the net, so days like this are really frustrating,” Odorczyk said. “But every game up until the Ivies, we’re trying to learn and get better.”

And there was much to improve on against the lesser St. Mary’s squad. Whereas the Crimson was stellar against No. 11 Penn State on Friday, the team struggled at times in the heat of Ohiri Field yesterday.

“The message I gave to the group today was I thought there were some lapses in concentration,” Harvard coach Erica Walsh said. “I was more discouraged with this tie because I saw these lapses, especially at the end of the game, that we need to learn from and make into positives.”

On the bright side for the Crimson, stellar play from junior Megan Merritt and Odorczyk earned All-Tournament team honors for the teammates.

On the injury front, freshman Lizzy Nichols was knocked out of the game with a bruise over her right eye that resulted from a collision in the first half. Fortunately, she was able to walk off the field under her own power.

—Staff writer Walter E. Howell can be reached at wehowell@fas.harvard.edu.