HANOVER, N.H.--If there is ever a time to blow out an opponent, it is right before the playoffs.

And for the Harvard women's lacrosse team, that time is now.

On Saturday, the Crimson traveled to Dartmouth for each team's last regular-season game.

The winner would make the playoffs, and the loser would have to pray that the NCAA Tournament selection committee look favorably upon them.

Harvard doesn't have to do the praying. It won big.

The 11-4 victory was not even as close as the score shows. In every aspect of the game, the Crimson simply decimated the Big Green.

On one end of the field, Harvard handcuffed the explosive Dartmouth offense, which had previously averaged 12.93 goals per game.

"It was awesome," co-captain Francie Walton said. "Defensively we played a smart game--our heads were in it. We passed when we should have and held on to it when we should have."

"Everyone was fired up and did what they had to do."

Dartmouth's prime weapon, 62-point scorer Lauren Holleran, was taken out of the game by Harvard senior Kelly Morrison. Holleran could only muster one goal and one shot all day.

"My plan was to deny her the ball so there'd be less chances for her to score," Morrison said. "It worked really well--she didn't touch it a lot."

Walton targeted another of the Big Green's weapons, Sarah Devens, who had compiled 25 goals and 17 assists this season. But under Walton's cover, Devens was shut out--no shots, goals or assists.

None of Dartmouth's players had more then one goal in the game.

"We had the matchups," Harvard Coach Carole Kleinfelder said. "Kelly Morrison is one of the most underrated players on our team, [and] she gives us a tremendous effort."

"I talked it up a lot," freshman goaltender Kate Schutt (14 saves, four goals allowed) said. "When the defense talks they can't be bet. When we did give up goals, they were just mistakes."