"We had control of most of the play," Wheaton said. "But the longer [Penn] was in the game the tougher it was getting."
Penn is a weaker squad than Harvard, but it did have one thing going for it as an equalizer--the astrotruf field.
The Crimson had trouble adjusting to the slick carpet, as many a ball skipped away from the intended targets and out of bounds.
While the Harvard offense had trouble clicking early in the tilt, the defenders didn't have the same problem and were able to stand up to the quick Penn attackers and stymie most scoring chances.
"It was an odd game--we had to acclimate ourselves a little bit," Noonan said. "The ball runs a lot faster, so we had to control it with our feet well."
The victory keeps Harvard in control of its fate in the Ivies, as it remains within one point of first-place Brown.
The two schools will square off in the season finale on November 5.
However, the Crimson can't afford to sleepwalk its way to that game, as struggling arch-rival Yale comes into town this Saturday.
Otherwise, Harvard's sweet Ivy dreams might turn into a real-life nightmare.
"Yale beat us last year," Wheaton said. "It's one of those games that is always a battle. We have to be prepared.