Harvard Falls to Hofstra, URI in Final Preseason Games

This past weekend’s slate of games had the potential to provide the Harvard women’s soccer team with some much-needed momentum heading into the start of the Ivy League season after a 3-0 loss to Boston University on Wednesday.

Instead, the Crimson (3-4) suffered two gut-wrenching losses against nonconference opponents, dropping a home game, 5-4, against Hofstra (4-2) on Friday and falling 3-2 to University of Rhode Island (4-3-1) in a double-overtime loss on Sunday.

“It’s important for us to take a break,” co-captain Melanie Baskind said. “We need a mental restart as much as physical. I’m really looking forward to the Ivy League. We’re looking at Friday [against Penn] as starting fresh.”

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 3, HARVARD 2

Down by two 20:33 into the first half, Harvard faced the stark possibility of losing its third game in five days, this time at the hands of URI. The Crimson ultimately lost a heartbreaker to the Rams, but the team engineered its second comeback of the weekend, erasing the two-goal deficit and sending the game into two overtimes.

Baskind started the comeback five minutes after URI’s second goal, sending a pass into the box that freshman Erika Garcia knocked into the back of the net, cutting the Rhode Island lead to one.

“[Sophomore Elizabeth Weisman and I] kind of scored the goal together,” Garcia said. “Having both of us in the box helped.”

With 20 minutes left in regulation, freshman Lauren Urke sent a corner kick in front of the net which classmate Kate Makaroff tapped past the Rams goalkeeper to tie the score at two.

“I think [the reason we are so good at rebounding from a deficit] is the fact that the team doesn’t want to lose,” Garcia said. “Everyone’s in a fighting mode throughout the game. Everyone shows that, especially in a comeback.”

Despite Harvard’s second-half heroics, the Crimson fell short in the second overtime. In the 107th minute, URI’s Megan Rauscher sent a shot from 25 yards out past Crimson goaltender Bethany Kanten ending the game in the Rams’ favor.

HOFSTRA 5, HARVARD 4

Two days earlier, the Crimson fell to Hofstra 5-4 at Soldiers Field Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium in a game that featured offensive fireworks and defensive miscues from both teams.

“I can’t remember the last time I’ve been in a five-goal game,” Harvard coach Ray Leone said. “There were eight goals in the second half. That’s insane. That’s a crazy game.”

The Crimson got on the board 16:15 in with a chip shot from freshman Meg Casscells-Hamby, her first Harvard goal. With the Pride controlling possession for most of the half, Crimson junior Alexandra Conigliaro broke downfield and passed the ball to Casscells-Hamby who lobbed it over a rushing Hofstra keeper.

Hofstra evened the score at 1-1 with senior Laura Greene heading in a corner kick less than three minutes into the second half. Eight minutes later, Harvard moved the ball up the left side and finished with a cross pass from Baskind to Conigliaro, who punched the ball in the back of the net and helped the Crimson retake the lead.

From that point on, the Pride capitalized on several breakdowns in the Harvard defense to string together four straight goals, setting the score at 5-2 lead with 18:32 left in the contest. Greene dealt the first blow with her second goal of the game, an unassisted effort at 55:54. Hofstra took a 3-2 lead when senior Courtney Breen found the net on a corner kick. Goals from Brittany Butts at 60:57 and another from Breen at 71:28 gave the Pride a three-goal advantage.

“In soccer, scores generally don’t go up that high and when they do, there’s something breaking down for both teams,” rookie Mai Le said. “It was just really unusual how the play was switching back and forth so fast.”

With 14:13 left, freshman Le breathed life into the Crimson with a cross to fellow first-year Garcia, who headed the ball past the goalie and cut Harvard’s deficit to two goals. Over 13 minutes later, Casscells-Hamby sent a laser into the top right corner of the net to tally her second goal of the game, accounting for the 5-4 final score.

“I’m really pleased with what they gave at the end of the game,” Leone said. “It shows a lot of promise and resilience of this team, and if we’re going to be where we want to be, we need to be resilient.”

After enduring an exhausting preseason that included three games in five days, Harvard looks to rebound against last year’s Ancient Eight champion University of Pennsylvania on Friday night. For both squads, Friday’s game marks the start of the Ivy League season.