"Joey did what she usually does. She put one in the goal and put us back in there," Costello said.

Yenne's team-leading tenth goal of the season drew the Crimson even. It would not be enough, as Harvard failed to score for the rest of the half.

"They came out of the back and threw a lot of people at us," McCarthy said. "They were fast, but we fought hard and got back with Joey's goal. The loss is always hard, but we are really happy with our play today."

The Crimson would generate solid chances to score throughout the game, winning a 6-3 advantage in corner kicks. Yenne and freshmen Caitlin Fisher and Katie Westfall had created numerous chances to knot the game. Their dominating play made the loss even tougher for the Crimson.

"We did everything right today, so a loss is so hard to take," Costello said. "Our defense was tough, but Hartford is a good team and they won."

Needing help from three teams to win the Ivy race, the Crimson looks toward its important final match against Columbia (4-10-2, 0-6) at Ohiri Field on Saturday. Harvard needs a victory to strengthen its case for NCAA Tournament consideration. A victory seems likely--Harvard is 13-0-1 all-time against the Lions.

"A win against Columbia is crucial," said McCarthy. "It'd be great for our confidence, and hopefully give us a win to build on in the tournament."

The Crimson needs a loss from Ivy leader Princeton, and the winner of the upcoming Brown-Dartmouth game to lose to a lower-tier Ivy team. The Crimson is fourth in the region and in the Ivy. It will need to remain there to receive serious consideration from the selection committee.