If Crimson attacker Megan Colligan knew other sports as well as she does lacrosse, she might have a future in Las Vegas bookmaking.

Even before the Harvard women's lacrosse team spanked Dartmouth yesterday in a key showdown at Ohiri Field, the sophomore predicted the flow of the game.

"Dartmouth tends to be really emotional, and if we get out to a fast start, they'll fold really quick," she said.

And so it went. The sixth-ranked Crimson cruised to a huge 15-6 win yesterday after a decisive first half in which it crushed the will of the fourth-ranked Big Green.

The victory will likely give Harvard (12-2 overall, 5-1 Ivy) home-field advantage in the first round of the NCAA playoffs.

More importantly, it showed all observers that the Crimson may be close to peaking at just the right time--the stretch run of the season.

"We're definitely putting it together now," Co-Captain Liz Berkery said. "We still have some areas where we can improve, but today we went out determined to play hard and smart, and we did."

From the opening minute of yesterday's contest, Harvard showed an intensity that it has sometimes lacked this season.

Only nine seconds after the game started, Co-Captain Rachel Burke scored. A minute later, Berkery netted another shot. And then another.

After Dartmouth scored once, seven minutes into the game, Harvard rattled off another five consecutive goals to take a commanding 8-1 lead midway into the first half.

Taking the wind out of its sails, deflating its tires, popping its balloons--however you want to look at it, Harvard stopped Dartmouth dead in its tracks.

"Once we got that big lead early, the Dartmouth players seemed kind of let down," Berkery said. "They've always depended a lot on emotion."

Ah, yes, there's the E-word again. Both teams' mental states played a big role in the outcome of this game.

"I thought we played with a lot of confidence today," Burke said. "We took care of the ball and just had a good all-around game."

Indeed, after going up 11-4 at halftime, Harvard made sure not to collapse in the second half and let Dartmouth back into the contest.