No. 11 Lions Escape Harvard

So maybe it wasn’t a win, but the second half of a tough loss was the best played and most exciting stretch Harvard women’s soccer fans have seen in this young season.

The Crimson (0-5-0) gave No. 11 Penn State (3-2-2) a big scare on Friday at Ohiri Field before eventually losing 3-2 in double-overtime.

In the 104th minute of play, PSU’s Katie Schoepfer, who was the star of the game with two goals and an assist, took a nice cross from teammate Ali Krieger and played it easily past Harvard keeper Lauren Mann.

The Crimson seemed a step slow early as the defending Big Ten Champions put on a clinic in the first half, with the Nittany Lions taking a 2-0 lead into the half and controlling play throughout. It took only eleven minutes for Penn State to get on the board, with Sarah Dwyer putting home an easy goal after Schoepfer had clanged a shot off the post.

“At halftime, we talked about playing our game,” freshman defenseman Lizzy Nichols said. “In the first half, we were really letting them dictate the tempo.”

In the second frame, Harvard fought its way back into the game with aggressive offensive play that resulted in two Penn State fouls near its own goal. Nichols, who has been a defensive leader throughout the season, took on a scorer’s mentality in the 64th minute and put the Crimson on the board with a goal on a direct free kick from just outside the penalty box.

Crimson coach Erica Walsh increased the team’s offensive energy after Nichols’s goal by moving to a three-forward line, with junior Megan Kerr joining starting forwards Erin Wylie and Christina Hagner up front. This combination led to more creative offensive plays and more chances, as Crimson players crowded the Nittany Lions’ zone and threatened to tie it. But Penn State keeper Alyssa Naeher made perhaps the play of the game as she skied high to punch a rocket from Crimson midfielder Rachel Lau just over the crossbar.

“That was just a fantastic save, and that’s why she’s the goalie for a nationally-ranked team,” Walsh said. “That’s one of those times when you just have to pat the kid on the back, say ‘great save,’ and go back at her again.”

And go back the Crimson did. Wylie sprinted through the box with a breakaway that resulted in a rough tackle, a whistle, and a Harvard penalty kick. Junior co-captain Megan Merritt took the kick and put the equalizer home with ease.

After the excitement of Merritt’s tying goal, the support of the home crowd and the bench kept Harvard’s momentum going through the fatigue of regulation’s last minutes and into two overtime periods.

“Our group had some excitement going into the overtime, and I think Penn State was on its heels a little bit,” Walsh said. “So I told them that we weren’t going into overtime to tie the game, but to win it.”

Despite the momentum, play in the overtime periods was fairly conservative and most likely reflected both teams’ fatigue. The Nittany Lions managed just two shots (including the game-winner) and the Crimson none.

Despite the loss, the team took pride in hanging tough with one of the country’s best teams.

“We didn’t get the result we wanted, but we just have to keep going out, challenging these top teams, taking chances,” Walsh said. “We don’t have anything to lose at this point in the season.”

—Staff writer Emily W. Cunningham can be reached at ecunning@fas.harvard.edu.