Bears Break Offensive Stalemate Against Crimson

One has once again proven itself to be the loneliest number. With its 1-0 loss to Brown (5-1, 2-0 Ivy League) in Providence on Saturday, the Harvard field hockey team (0-7, 0-2 Ivy League) found itself on the losing side of a one-goal contest for the fourth time this season and remains the only Ivy League team without a win to its name.

“Brown is a good team,” said junior defender Devon Shapiro, who missed on her sole shot of the game. “They played hard and capitalized on their opportunities. We, as a team, did not have the intensity that we needed to win on Saturday, and Brown did have that intensity.”

Brown also had the presence of a seemingly unstoppable offensive power in forward Andrea Posa, who netted her sixth goal of the season to land her atop the Ivy League in scoring.

The Crimson appeared acutely aware of the Bears’ obstinate resistance to offensive hibernation.

A war raged at midfield for the opening ten minutes of the game, ball possession seesawing between the 25-yard lines.

Brown was the first to break through the madness.

Taking full advantage of a penalty corner, the Bears zipped a long shot from the outer limits of the circle. Sophomore goaltender Kelly Knoche, ready and waiting, intercepted the ball, earning her the first of ten saves on the game and maintaining the scoreless tie.

Harvard muscled its way into some scoring chances of its own in the first half.

An aggressive shot by sophomore Tami Jafar edged just wide of the cage before the Crimson’s attack was again foiled, this time by the hustle and alertness of a Brown player from the forward line; her tenacity led to an impressive save of Harvard’s best offensive opportunity on goal.

The heart-stopping play seemed to be an omen of the team’s unfortunate luck.

Not even two minutes after the whistle rang in the second half, the Bears lit up the scoreboard with what would be the deciding goal.

Knoche blocked a set of Brown shots but could not stop the final rebound before it found the stick of a perfectly positioned Bear.

Pummeled by a cascade of shots, Knoche refused to allow the Brown rush to develop into a rally. Her eight second-period saves kept the Crimson within striking distance.

And it looked like the Crimson would strike. Racing the clock as the final minutes ran out, Harvard nearly capitalized on a long free hit but could not convert.

A last hopeful attempt was made as the Crimson forced the ball into Bear territory, but the pass into the circle was too wide.

Harvard watched it roll past the white paint as the seconds that had held so much promise expired.

“We did some great things yesterday,” Knoche said. “The first half of play was strong...[Our] composure was something we haven’t had before, and it is a huge step in our play. Any Ivy League game is always an intense match-up. We came out strong yesterday, but Brown held us and eventually finished with a goal. I believe we will learn from this game and come out even stronger against Providence.”

Harvard will look to validate itself on its home turf Wednesday as it faces No. 16 Providence under the lights at 7 p.m.

—Staff writer Courtney M. Petrouski can be reached at petrousk@fas.harvard.edu.