Crimson Caps Off Season the Right Way

It was a busy day for the Harvard women’s soccer team.

Less than 12 hours after Crimson co-captain Katherine Sheeleigh was announced as the 2010 Ivy League Player of the Year, Harvard (9-7-1, 4-3 Ivy) traveled to Fairfield, Conn., to conclude its season in a non-conference matchup with Fairfield (8-9-3, 4-3-2 MAAC) last night at Lessing Field.

And when the Crimson arrived, the good times kept rolling.

Harvard closed out its season with a 3-1 victory, its fourth win in its last five contests.

“It was one of the best days that I’ve had in a while,” Sheeleigh said. “To go out with the win was just so fun. It was really special.”

The Crimson, which entered halftime tied, 1-1, with the Stags, relied on a second-half surge led by junior Melanie Baskind’s two goals to pull out the win.

“I think it was a lot of energy [that accounted for the strong second half],” Harvard coach Ray Leone said. “We really truly played like it was the last 45 minutes of the season.”

In the match’s opening minutes, it didn’t look like Harvard would need a late rally to pull out the win.

The visitors got on the board early, jumping out to a 1-0 lead just eight minutes into the contest, thanks to a score from freshman Elizabeth Weisman. The forward notched her first career goal, taking a pass from Sheeleigh in front of the cage and then booting the ball over the head of Fairfield goalie Kelly Boudreau.

Sheeleigh—who became the sixth player in Harvard history to take home the honor of the conference’s top player—was credited with her team-leading seventh assist on the year.

But the home team fought its way back into the contest.

Just 13 minutes later, the Stags called on their own freshman to even the score. Midfielder Nikko Stanton tallied her first career goal, heading a ball past Crimson freshman goalkeeper Jessica Wright in the 21st minute.

Fairfield kept the pressure up for the remainer of the half, outshooting Harvard, 2-0, heading into the break.

But after being held without a shot over the final 37:44 of the first half, the Crimson came out on a tear to start the second, registering three shot attempts and two shots on goal in the first six minutes.

“[In the second half] I think we really committed to win the game,” Sheeleigh said. “We just knew there was no way we we’re going to lose this game.”

While none of its first shot attempts found their mark, Harvard was not denied for much longer. In the 65th minute, junior Melanie Baskind broke the deadlock, putting the Crimson ahead 2-1.

Baskind—who was named to the All-Ivy First Team yesterday afternoon—recovered a loose ball inside the box and kicked it to the far post for her eighth score of the year.

Harvard kept the pressure up offensively, following Baskind’s goal with shot attempts from sophomore Alexandra Conigliaro and senior Katie Kuzma, who is also a Crimson sports editor.

But the Stags denied the Crimson attempts and countered with shots of their own. With 14:01 to play, Fairfield’s Shannon Fay—the Stags’ leading goal scorer—found an opening and fired a shot at goal.

But Harvard sophomore goalkeeper AJ Millet—who entered the contest midway through the first period—was there to make the stop. Millet finished with two saves and zero goals allowed, making it more than 180 minutes of play since the keeper last allowed a goal.

“We’re really proud that [Millet] was able to improve throughout the season and have a great finish,” Leone said.

Baskind put the game out of reach in the 90th minute, scoring on an empty net with 17 seconds left to play after the Stags pulled their keeper.

While the goal may not have changed the outcome of the game, the tally marked Baskind’s ninth of the season, tying her with Sheeleigh as the Ivy League’s leading scorer.

“[Baskind and Sheeleigh] are such a great combination,” Leone said. “They played off each other so well [throughout the season]. They are always looking for each other first. It was poetic the way they finished.”

“I absolutely love playing with her,” Sheeleigh added. “We couldn’t have gone out a better way.”

—Staff writer Martin Kessler can be reached at martin.kessler@college.harvard.edu.