Forget about forecasts of a snowstorm today. A bolt of lightning energized the Harvard women's lacrosse team yesterday afternoon at Soldiers Field.

The Crimson won its third game in a row by defeating Massachusetts, 9-6.

Senior Kate Felsen's four goals and two assists helped the Crimson raise its record to 5-2 (2-0 Ivy). The Minutewomen dropped to 4-3-1.

Harvard was erratic throughout the game. At times, it showed why it is the top team in New England.

"At other times, we had trouble picking the ball up," Coach Carole Kleinfelder said.

Suzanne Murphy scored the first of her four goals off an assist from Virginia Armstrong early in the first period to put UMass on top. Felsen got the Crimson on the board five minutes later. With the score knotted at one, Armstrong hit Murphy with another pass, and the sophomore put the ball by Harvard goalie Kelly Dermody.

Then lightning struck.

The Crimson proceeded to score five goals in a seven-minute span to take a 6-2 lead.

"This was a period of time when we were brilliant on offense," Kleinfelder said.

Good Time

Felsen started off the string by scoring at the 9:10 mark of the first half. Ten seconds later, Katie McAnaney put Harvard on top to stay. Felsen then took control, assisting Co-Captain Cindi Ersek, scoring off a feed from Char Joslin, and assisting Ersek with two minutes and thirty seconds remaining in the half.

The Minutewomen, currently ranked 13th in the nation, did not quit, Murphy continued to baffle the Harvard defense, cutting the lead to 6-4, by scoring two quick goals.

Halftime stopped what may have been an important UMass run.

Stick It

Co-Captain Leelee Groome put Harvard up by three. After UMass cut it back to two, Ersek and Felsen iced the game with two goals. Murphy assisted Catherine Fuhrman to close out the game.