Women’s Lacrosse Wraps Up Road Trip Weekend With Upset Over No. 15 Navy, Enters Top 25

After a dominant home-opener win over the University of Albany (0-4, 0-0 America East), the Harvard women’s lacrosse team (2-1, 0-0 Ivy) headed south to take on Drexel (2-2, 0-0 CAA) and No. 15 Navy (3-1, 0-0 Patriot League) this weekend.

The Crimson fell just short in a close 14-12 contest against the Dragons but then rebounded with a major 11-9 win over the nationally ranked Midshipmen on Sunday. Now, with momentum on its side and a ranking of 24th after its victory in Annapolis, the Crimson shifts its focus to another ranked opponent, No. 23 UConn (3-1, 0-0 Big East) for a big matchup at home.

Harvard 12, Drexel 14

Competing at the USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Sparks, Md., the Harvard team had a dominant start against Drexel. In the first quarter, the Crimson jumped to a commanding 5-1 lead with five different goal scorers contributing to the offensive surge.

However, in the second quarter, the Dragons stormed back with an offensive onslaught of their own, outscoring Harvard 6-4. After being blanked in the first 15 minutes of the contest, Drexel’s redshirt senior, Anna Maria Gragnani found her scoring rhythm and proved herself to be unstoppable offensively. Gragnani tallied an outstanding eight goals, helping to fuel the Dragons’ comeback.

Despite Gragnani’s offensive threat, Harvard still boasted a 9-7 lead at halftime, setting the stage for a tightly contested second half.

In the third quarter, however, Drexel’s momentum continued as it notched four more goals and kept Harvard to one. During the final fifteen minutes of play, Gragnani struck three more times, snagging the win for the Dragons and preventing Harvard from initiating a comeback of its own.

Although the scoreboard was not in its favor, the Crimson reigned in other key statistical categories. Junior Charlotte Hodgson was stellar on the draw, securing ten draw controls and helping Harvard to win the overall possession battle, 15-14. The Harvard team also outshot Drexel 35-21 but struggled with shot placement. In fact, despite outshooting the Dragons by 14, the Crimson only had four more shots on net than its opponents.

That being said, the Dragons’ goalie, Jenika Cuocco, made ten critical saves during the contest which, in addition to Gragnani’s offensive prowess, made it challenging for Harvard to maintain its lead.

Despite a strong start and statistical dominance, Harvard was unable to maintain an edge over Drexel. The team will undoubtedly focus on continuing early leads and tightening up defensive coverage against top scorers like Gragnani.

Harvard 11, Navy 9

Two days later, the Crimson arrived in Annapolis, eager to take on Navy. The Midshipmen had a very strong start to their season, notching three straight wins against Saint Joseph’s, Villanova, and No. 19 Richmond. Navy’s game against Richmond was particularly impressive, as the team dominantly earned a 21-11 victory over another nationally ranked team. Harvard, hungry for an upset after its loss to Drexel, entered the competition fiercely.

Grace Mullahy, a sophomore from Morrisville, N.C., kicked off the scoring after firing a shot past Navy’s goaltender. The Midshipmen responded quickly, notching two goals of their own, before Mullahy’s older sister, senior attacker Caroline, tallied a goal of her own and evened the scoreboard.

The Crimson’s momentum continued into the second quarter of play, as the team went on a quick four-goal streak. Navy, unable to prevent Harvard from creating woman-up positions in front of the net, struggled to defend against the Crimson’s dynamic offense.

However, the Midshipmen rampantly ignited a hot streak of their own, tallying four more goals and stifling Harvard’s offensive flow. At the end of the third quarter of play, the score was locked in a 9-9 tie.

In the final fifteen minutes, Hodgson scored a goal, giving the Crimson a critical one-point lead as the clock dwindled to zero. Harvard’s defensive unit stood firm as the clock ticked down, denying Navy any threatening scoring opportunities. Then, sophomores Grace Mullahy and Callie Batchelder secured the upset, as Batchelder dished the ball to Mullahy who flung it home. When the final buzzer rang, the Harvard bench erupted into celebration.

The Crimson return to Cambridge to take on the No. 23 UConn Huskies at home on Wednesday night. This past weekend, the Huskies dominated offensively, beating Manhattan 19-2 and showcasing their scoring capabilities. To continue its win streak on Wednesday, Harvard will have to ensure that its shots are getting on net and that defenders are disciplined. The Crimson must lock down on defense, making an effort to play cleanly and avoid penalties that might give UConn a scoring advantage.

Fans can catch the action live on Jordan Field on ESPN+ at 6:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

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