Halpern Shines in Difficult League

After the Harvard women’s lacrosse team posted a miserable 4-11 record in its 2007 campaign, the Crimson bounced back this season to notch its best record since 2002. What was its recipe for change? Leadership from the team’s seven graduating seniors. New head coach Lisa Miller, who brought a different game plan to the veteran squad. And the fresh talent of rookie midfielder Jess Halpern.

In her first season with the Crimson, Halpern was Harvard’s second-leading scorer with 46 points on 34 goals and 12 assists, pacing a Crimson attack that finished second in the league in goals per game. Individually, Halpern finished 10th in the league in goals per game, averaging 2.12 a contest, and her 2.88 points per game tied her for eighth in the conference. With numbers like that, it’s no wonder the freshman started every one of the Crimson’s 16 games.

Halpern made her first collegiate start in Harvard’s season opener against Holy Cross and contributed four goals and one assist in the Crimson’s 19-2 victory.

“Jess definitely made a statement in the very first game we played and has had to work and is trying to work to continue that level of play,” sophomore Delia Pais said.

Halpern continued to show her strength on the field when Harvard eked out a 14-13 win against Brown. The Longmeadow, Mass. native slammed in three goals, including the game-winner with 7:27 to play.

“It was a battle all over the field up until the end,” senior Caroline Simmons said. “We pulled away with the win due to some key shots by Jess Halpern.”

Halpern also showed up in some of Harvard’s biggest games. Against No. 8 Penn, the eventual national runner-up, Halpern scored twice, and led all Crimson scorers against No. 2 Princeton, tallying three goals, including back-to-back unassisted scores that gave Harvard a 4-3 lead in the first half of an eventual 18-9 loss.

The freshman’s quickness was the key to her attack. Throughout the season, Halpern consistently made her move by leading her defender one way and then darting the other way, either opening a clear path to the goal or forcing another defender to step up. More often than not, the rookie finished the play herself or found one of her teammates for an open look.

Halpern made her impact not only on the score sheet, but established herself as a leader on the field for the Crimson’s next three seasons.

“She really gets along with everyone on the team,” Pais said. “It’s hard to build and improve without team chemistry, so it’s a very good thing that we have it. I think it’s an integral part of any team.”

Halpern’s contributions did not go overlooked by the Ivy League, who named her its Rookie of the Year. This is the first time since Katie

Schutt ’97 in 1994 that a Crimson athlete has earned the award.

Even with all her talent, Halpern herself will admit that she still has room to grow.

“I need to work on my shooting a lot, my placement, and just leaning in when I shoot to gain power on my shot,” Halpern said. “I need to work on seeing the open field better.”

If Halpern keeps improving, Harvard can only follow suit.

—Staff writer Alison E. Schumer can be reached at schumer@fas.harvard.edu.