"When you play a team as talented as UConn, you know that they can dominate, and they did that for a while," Wheaton said. "But when the ball hit the post it was a wake up call for us."

In addition to the obvious importance of defeating a top-10 team, the win was especially sweet for Harvard considering the results it has had against the Huskies in recent years.

In particular, the Crimson's last trip to Morrone Stadium to face UConn stood out in the players' minds. Two years ago, the Huskies handed Harvard an embarrassing 5-0 defeat. With the memories of that game still fresh, the upperclassmen came ready to play.

"The game [against UConn] two years ago was the worst that we have ever played," Zotter said. "We were definitely excited to come here and change our memories of this field."

The teams also met last season, with the Crimson matching the Huskies shot-for-shot before suffering a heartbreaking 2-0 loss. Despite coming up just short, the game proved to Harvard that it could compete against its nemesis.

"Last year we realized that we were capable of beating them," Zotter said. "And this season we are solid at every position, so we were confident that we could win."

It was Harvard's continued excellence on defense, though, that proved to be the deciding factor in yesterday's game. Co-captain Jess Larson and senior back Gina Foster anchored yet another spectacular defensive effort for the Crimson.

Entering the contest UConn--led by star sophomore midfielder Mary-Frances Monroe' 22 points--had netted 46 goals on the season, and the Huskies looked to put the pressure on the Harvard backfield throughout.