Harvard's reliance on the freshmen was such that the team's only regular-season slip-up--a 1-0 loss to an inferior New Hampshire squad in early September--was marked by the absence of all of the Crimson's first-year players. The freshmen were not allowed to leave the campus during orientation week due to University regulations, leaving the Crimson shorthanded.

The success of the freshmen, of course, was due in large part to the leadership of the team's upperclassmen.

Co-captain Beth Zotter moved to the midfield from her natural position of forward in the middle of the season, sacrificing her scoring numbers for the good of the team. Zotter epitomized the unselfish play of the senior class.

Seniors Ashley Berman and Julia Blain created for the Crimson offense in the midfield throughout the season, while notching 9 and 12 points for themselves, respectively. For her play, Berman was named to the All-Ivy First Team.

Senior back Gina Foster and junior defender Lauren Corkery also earned all-league honors for their play in a stellar Harvard backfield that allowed a national-low eight goals during the regular season.

But the glue that held the team together throughout the year was the team's anchor in the sweeper position: co-captain Jess Larson.

Larson was impenetrable on defense, seemingly never losing a one-on-one battle with an attacker. She took the pressure off Gunther, helping to make the freshman's job in goal seem easy. Larson was unanimously selected as Ivy League Player of the Year.

But on Sunday against the Eagles, in a game marked by unlucky bounces and Harvard's inability to score despite controlling play and winning the shots on goal battle 23-11, the Crimson's inexperience finally seemed to catch up with it.