Jenkins’ Goal Seconds into Overtime Buries Catamounts

After beating Brown on Saturday, the Harvard field hockey team (6-3, 2-1 Ivy) won in stunning fashion, defeating Vermont (6-6, 0-1 America East), 2-1, in overtime.

Though regulation was filled with strong defensive play, the overtime period was over just as soon as it started. Only 37 seconds into the extra period, the Crimson broke through the Catamount defense to score the final tally.

Angling her way across the top of the circle, Harvard freshman midfielder Sydney Jenkins sent a reverse shot towards the net. After deflecting off of a Vermont defender, the ball sailed into the net, and the Crimson rushed the field in victory.

“I wasn’t sure if it went in, so I was just kind of looking around,” Jenkins said. “It was kind of a blur. [It was] so exciting, but definitely a team effort.”

The play resulted from a strong pass by freshman midfielder Caitlyn Rea, who gave Jenkins the chance to use her quickness to dart past a Catamount defender.

Both teams struggled to get solid opportunities at the goal in the first half, but Harvard managed to keep the ball on the Vermont side of the field.

There were a couple centering feeds that resulted in goal-scoring chances, but many times, the ball flew wide left or right.

Catamount sophomore goalie Stephanie Zygmunt was stellar, as she deflected every ball sent her way. The Crimson managed seven shots on goal in the first half compared to Vermont’s three, but Zygmunt held her ground using her padding to fend off potential Harvard goals.

The Crimson’s defense prevented the Catamounts from generating any substantial scoring opportunities in the first half.

As a result, the game was a stalemate, 0-0, going into the break.

“Vermont is a very talented and athletic team,” Harvard coach Sue Caples said. “That was a very tactical game, a very skillful game between teams that complement each other very well.”

In the second half, the game opened up a little bit for the Crimson as it generated a host of chances.

Harvard put 15 shots on goal, and generated eight penalty corners, but time after time, Zygmunt made the key stops to keep the Crimson off the scoreboard.

The Catamounts were able to tally the first goal when Vermont junior forward Taylor Silvestro scored on a second-chance opportunity, scooping the ball into the back of the net as she fell to the ground.

Harvard was able to respond quickly, scoring six minutes later on a penalty corner.

Senior back Georgia McGillivray was able to shoot the ball past Zygmunt after a quick pass from freshman forward Noel Painter.

Painter finished with a goal and two assists during the course of two games over the weekend.

“Turning the game around was mostly mental,” Jenkins said. “We were basically at the same places that we practiced.”

After tying the game, the Crimson had many opportunities to get the go-ahead goal in regulation, but Harvard was unable to capitalize on either of two penalty corners.

At one point, co-captain midfielder Carly Dickson had a chance to put the Crimson on top with a penalty stroke, but her shot sailed high over the net.

Halfway into the season, the Harvard freshmen have already contributed greatly to the team, scoring eight out of the Crimson’s 23 goals.

“There are no freshmen at this point,” Caples said. “They all come with a lot of field hockey background and experience. They’re skilled [and] athletic, and they have speed. They’re competitors, and they get it done.”

The Crimson has won four straight games, and the squad currently boasts a 5-0 record at home.

Harvard will try to maintain its perfect home record next week as it faces off against sixth-ranked Stanford.

“I think we raised our level today, which is really very exciting,” Caples said. “[Sunday], we could see glimpses that the bar has been raised [for this team], and we can keep growing and keep getting better.”