"I feel like we did pick it up in the second half," Zotter said.

After UConn and Harvard traded shots a few times to no avail, Crimson defender Jessica Larson was slapped with a yellow card for taking a Husky player down from behind in the 62nd minute.

The Harvard foul set up a free kick from the perimeter. UConn forward Jen Carlson booted the ball over the Crimson wall and past Harvard keeper Anne Browning for a 2-0 Husky lead.

Harvard could not recover, even as Miller returned to the game.

"When we played, we were all over the number three team in the country," Wheaton said. "When we got a little tentative, they were all over us."

Miller drilled the ball past the Husky goalie in the 65th minute, only to see it run by the goal just wide to the left.

Harvard failed to capitalize shortly thereafter as a Miller cross was bobbled by the UConn goalie but was knocked away by the Husky defense in the 71st minute.

As time drew nearer to a close, the two teams took turns streaking downfield, only to come up empty-handed.

"You can look at it two ways--on one hand we're disappointed we lost 2-0," Wheaton said. "On the other hand, to play the number three team in the country, and to be standing here after the game feeling like we lost--that we let ourselves down in terms of not winning that game."

In the end, Harvard outshot UConn 21-11 despite the loss.

"When you play a team like UConn, they are very strong and you feel like you need a break," Wheaton said. "We gave up a goal we shouldn't have given up. I think that took us off our focus a little bit.

"I think one of the things we learned today was that we can control our destiny," he added.

Harvard has the opportunity to control its destiny Saturday when it travels to Princeton to face the Tigers in an Ivy League showdown.

UCONN, 2-0 at Ohiri Field Harvard  0  0  --  0 UConn  1  1  --  2

Scoring

UConn--M. Tietjen, 27:37

UConn--Carlson, 62:05

Saves: Har--Browning 5; UConn--Eskerud 11.