Field Hockey Topples UPenn and No. 5 St. Joseph’s, Clinching Spot in Ivy League Tournament

No. 11 field hockey went undefeated this weekend in dramatic style, edging out conference rival UPenn (4-11, 2-4 Ivy) in the final seconds of regulation play on Friday, 2-1, and then beating No. 5 Saint Joseph’s in an overtime nail-biter (14-3, 5-1 Atlantic 10) 2-1 on Sunday.

With the win over the Quakers, Harvard clinched a guaranteed spot in the Ivy League Tournament. The weekend also featured individual stardom as well: senior forward Lucy Leel continued her late-season tear by scoring her second goal of the game in overtime against the Hawks. The London native now has seven goals on the season, five of which she has notched during October.

Harvard 2, UPenn 1

The Crimson traveled this weekend, hitting the road to take on its two Keystone State opponents. The Quakers have struggled this season, tallying only one win by more than a one-goal margin and only four wins overall. Meanwhile, Harvard entered Philadelphia after a devastating overtime loss against No. 13 Princeton last weekend, needing a win to build some momentum as the regular season draws to a close and the playoffs loom.

“After coming off a bit of a challenging prior weekend, we were really looking to just find our flow and get back to Harvard field hockey,” sophomore forward Sage Piekarski said. “We were focused on doing the small things right, controlling all that we could, and playing a really gritty style of hockey.”

The Crimson started the game off strong, outshooting the Quakers 6-0 throughout the first fifteen minutes of the contest. The initial offensive pressure paid off for Harvard, as sophomore Lara Beekhuis hammered home her ninth goal of the season merely eight minutes after the opening whistle, giving the Crimson an early 1-0 lead. Beekhuis, a midfielder from Laren, Netherlands, was assisted by Martha le Huray during the team's second penalty corner opportunity of the game. With the pass, le Huray, a freshman hailing from Teddington, U.K., tallied her fifth assist of the fall.

Entering the second quarter of play, the dominating hustle seemed to slow down for the Crimson. Both teams struggled to ignite offensive pressure, as the ball ricocheted back and forth in the midfield. That being said, Penn did have a brief run to Harvard’s net, forcing junior goalkeeper Tessa Shahbo to face her first shot of the game.

With the Crimson offense unable to generate any opportunities of its own in the second quarter, Harvard leaned on its defense, which held steady throughout the quarter. Therefore, at the halftime whistle, the score remained 1-0 in favor of the Crimson.

After the break, UPenn quickly equalized the score, as forward Livia Loozen snuck the ball past Shahbo on a rebound opportunity. Loozen’s goal came just four minutes into the second half of play, evening the scoreboard and motivating both sides to play with more urgency.

Sophomore Smilla Klaus earned a penalty corner chance in the final three minutes of the third quarter, fostering hope for a goal amongst her teammates. The Del Mar, Calif. native made a beautiful pass across the circle, yet Harvard was unable to capitalize on the opportunity in the face of the Quakers’ aggressive defenders. As time dwindled and the game entered the final quarter, the score remained tied at 1-1.

“In those last few minutes of regulation, there was a heightened sense of energy that radiated across the field from the players all the way to the fans,” Piekarski described.

Excelling under the pressure, Harvard ramped up its offensive speed, showering Penn’s goaltender in shots. In a similar fashion to its first-quarter play, the team was able to get six shots toward the net, worrying the Penn fans. That being said, nobody in a Crimson jersey was able to slip the ball between the goalposts. It looked like Harvard would be set to play in its second consecutive overtime match.

But suddenly, with only seven seconds remaining in regulation play, Piekarski fired a shot home. As the Harvard bench erupted in cheers, Penn attempted a comeback, pulling its goaltender and trying to manufacture a final scoring opportunity. However, it was too late for the Quakers. Piekarski’s goal, her seventh of the season, sealed not just the win, but also a spot in the Ivy League Tournament for the Crimson.

“We were able to capitalize at a time when it was quite literally necessary,” Piekarski humbly explained. “The determination says a lot about the foundation of Team 50 and how far we will go.” This year marks the 50th year of the Harvard field hockey program, and the team strives to make the season one to remember.

The team did not have long to relish in its victory, as its sights shifted quickly to its next opponent, the No. 5 Saint Joseph’s Hawks Piekarsi, specifically, didn’t let the excitement of her game-winner shake her focus.

“Coming into Saint Joseph’s, we knew we would be up against a really powerful and quick team,” the Concord, Mass. native said.

Harvard 2, Saint Joseph’s 1

After its win over UPenn, the Harvard team made the 15-minute drive across Philadelphia, looking to upset Saint Joseph’s on Sunday. The Hawks, celebrating their senior day during the matchup against the Crimson, have notched impressive wins against top-10 opponents this season, including No. 4 UVA and No. 10 Duke. Harvard, which plays a similarly competitive schedule, strived to cement another undefeated weekend by stunning Saint Joseph’s.

“On Saturday we reflected on the game by watching video and focused on things that we knew we had to improve going into Sunday,” the senior Leel explained. “After this, we had a really good training session where we connected well in our drills and felt strong and prepared going into Sunday’s game.”

Harvard’s preparedness was on full display nine minutes after the opening whistle when Leel kicked off the scoring. The goal was scored off of a beautiful tip, assisted by junior Bronte-May Brough, who originally sent the ball careening toward the Hawks’ net. Leel, hailing from London, U.K., has been consistently able to get the ball into the net in critical moments for Harvard. The Crimson, the underdog of the contest, now boasted a 1-0 lead.

The game remained even throughout the second and third quarters, as both teams battled for more scoring opportunities. The defenses on both sides were strong, yet the Crimson side fended off more good looks, notably staying tough in the face of consistent Hawk penalty corners.

“Our defense did a great job staying low and in front of the Saint Joseph’s attack,” Piekarski stated. “Offensively, we made a really concerted effort to stretch the field and create a lot of space. I think this action allowed us to have fast transitions to attack and to make the most of our circle entries.”

Despite Harvard’s combination of offensive speed and defensive prowess, Saint Joseph’s was able to even the score in the final quarter with six minutes remaining in regulation play. Graduate student Julia Duffhuis tallied the equalizer, capitalizing off of a penalty stroke opportunity, as she managed to sneak the ball behind Shahbo and into the back of Harvard’s net.

“The game itself showed real grit and fight from the whole team and we really had to dig deep to maintain our defensive discipline,” the goalkeeper said.

When the buzzer signaling the end of regulation echoed across the field, the two teams faced off for a sudden-death overtime. After the Crimson’s defense was able to prevent the Hawks from scoring the golden goal on another penalty corner opportunity, Leel struck again, hustling off the bench with speed. Maneuvering her way past the goalkeeper, Leel fired the ball home, shocking Saint Joseph’s, and securing the undefeated weekend for her team.

“I had only been on for about 15 seconds so it was all quite sudden,” said the senior when asked about her thrilling second goal. “After I had beaten the keeper and had a free shot on goal I knew that we had won which was the best feeling. It was such a huge celebration for the team after all the hard work we’ve been putting in and belief that we could contest with the top teams in the country.”

The Crimson stormed the field, circling Shahbo and Leel in hugs and cheers to celebrate its victory against such a formidable opponent. Despite scoring the winning goal, Leel credits Harvard’s defense for powering the win.

“Our composure and our defensive layers in our press really got us the win today. Saint Joesph’s had very good distributors in their back line so we knew that we couldn’t dive in for tackles as they would easily take advantage of this and find connections going forward,” Leel said.

Harvard now prepares to face its next opponent, the Cornell Big Red (6-8, 3-3 Ivy). The two teams will face off this Saturday, on the Crimson’s senior day. The contest marks the last regular season game for Harvard, and will also be a day full of festivities for the nine seniors on the Crimson’s roster.

“We always say the next game is the most important game,” Leel added. The matchup against Cornell will certainly be memorable for Leel and her fellow seniors this Saturday.

While the team will surely give everything it has against the Big Red, its success this weekend guaranteed it a spot in the Ivy League Tournament. Therefore, regardless of the outcome on Saturday, the team will take the field again this fall.

That being said, during the Cornell contest, Harvard will vie for a share of the Ivy League Championship, relying on its rival Princeton to fall to Yale. The game will take place at home at Berylson Field on Saturday, Nov. 2nd. Streaming will also be available on ESPN+.

The Crimson, like its fanbase, is thrilled to compete, with playoff glory on the horizon.

“Our performance this weekend is really indicative of the desire and motivation of all 25 of us to play at our highest level,” Piekarski said. “I’m proud of the work we put in and excited for all that is to come.”

—Staff writer Isabel Smail can be reached at isabel.smail@thecrimson.com.