"We broke down defensively down the stretch," Harvard Coach Katey Stone said. "We just missed are assignments in our own end."

As the Brown defensive duo of junior captain Tara Mounsey and junior Cara Gardner turned up the heat in the offensive zone, Springer responded to the challenge-- stepping up her game as the Brown attack started to click.

However, Springer couldn't hold the fort forever, and Brown exploded for four goals in the third period to send the game to overtime.

It was the second game in less than a week where the Harvard defense collapsed in the third period. Against the Bulldogs last Saturday, Harvard surrendered three goals in the third and nearly blew a 4-0 lead against the league's worst team.

However, the problem was more than just a defensive collapse. Harvard played almost the entire game with only two lines, and the top line of Shewchuk, Botterill, and Francisco looked sluggish in overtime.

In the extra period, Brown outshot Harvard 6-0 and it was only Springer's outstanding performance that salvaged a tie for the Crimson.

Harvard's recent string of poor performances, and weakness down the stretch in games, underscores the inherent danger in relying on a couple of players to win night in and night out.