ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Baskind’s Goals Lead Team to Crown

After a season of handing out assists to her teammates, it was time for sophomore Melanie Baskind to get some goals of her own.

And for the Harvard women’s soccer team, Baskind’s scoring display could not have come at a more crucial moment.

Baskind’s two goals in the Crimson’s final match of the regular season propelled Harvard over Columbia in overtime, 2-1, and earned the defending Ivy League champions an outright Ancient Eight title for the first time this decade.

“It was just the kind of game we needed in a big time pressure experience,” Crimson coach Ray Leone said. “[Baskind] was focused. She was sharp with her touches.”

After the Lions sent the game into overtime with a last-second score, Harvard would need a way to regain its edge. Enter Baskind.

“When the pressure’s on, she wants the ball,” Leone said.

Six minutes into the first overtime, junior forward Katherine Sheeleigh, the Crimson’s leading scorer, dished the ball to Baskind on the left side of the field. The forward dribbled ahead and fired from eight yards out past the Columbia goalie for the game winner.

“She pulled through with a few amazing goals,” co-captain Lizzy Nichols said. “She…is one of those players who can bring that extra spark to the game that we need sometimes.”

Baskind’s first tally of the game came just 10 minutes in. Last year’s Ivy Rookie of the Year wouldn’t need any help, as she dribbled past Lion defenders from 18 yards out before whipping the ball into the right side of the net to give Harvard the 1-0 lead.

And up until the match’s final seconds, the single goal appeared to be all the Crimson would need.

But with the visitors just 15 seconds from celebration, Columbia’s Lauren Cooke headed the ball past Crimson senior goalkeeper Lauren Mann off a free kick to even the score in the 90th minute.

Baskind wasn’t surprised.

“It was almost just like ‘of course that would happen,’” she said. “When [Columbia scored] it was just kind of like, ‘I shouldn’t be surprised right now,’ because of the way things have been going this season.”

But Baskind and the rest of the Harvard team responded well to the new challenge. The overtime golden goal was the only shot the Crimson needed in the extra session to return from New York with a trophy all for itself.

Harvard had clinched a share of the Ivy League title the prior weekend with its victory over Dartmouth, but it came to Columbia hungry for an outright title after sharing last season’s championship with Princeton.

“It just kind of speaks to the character of our team. I think it would have been easy for a lot of teams [to come out unfocused],” Baskind said. “We’re not happy with [sharing the title].”

In Baskind, the Crimson soccer team has found a player with the ability to keep the team grounded in crucial situations.

After the squad opened the season with two early non-conference losses, it was Baskind who encouraged the team to get back on the right track before its match against Hofstra.

“I remember she just looked at the team and said, ‘This wasn’t good enough. I’m tired of building. We need to start performing,’” Nichols said. “She brought her passion to that game and I was really proud of her.”

On top of her leadership, Baskind has aided Harvard with her ability to kick the Crimson offense into gear. Since her arrival in Cambridge last year, the Framingham, Mass. native has done a remarkable job getting her teammates involved—recording 13 assists over two seasons.

Her freshman totals of six goals and seven assists were good enough to earn Baskind the honor of the league’s top newcomer and a spot on the Second Team All-Ivy. Baskind has continued to set her teammates up this season, leading the team with six assists.

But in a reversal of roles, it was Baskind who got the glory in Harvard’s final matchup by notching her third and fourth goals of the year.

“She deserved it,” Nichols said. “She has definitely created a bunch of opportunities for other players [but she took control].”

With a slew of personal accolades and two Ivy League championships under her belt, Baskind has already had quite a career in the Crimson women’s soccer program. But the sophomore still has two seasons to build on her personal and team accomplishments.

“I’m really proud of how she hasn’t accepted just being good at one or two things,” Leone said. “She can be as good as she wants to.”