Freshman midfielder John Hemsley scored at the start of the second quarter to give Fairfield a 4-2 lead. The Crimson's Sprong scored two goals and the Stags's Scipioni and Steele accounted for two more before the half.
After the explosive third quarter, Fairfield mounted a comeback. Shanley scored two goals and Stag captain Mark Beckwith scored one to give Fairfield a brief 9-8 lead before Sprong and Buttles gave Harvard the win.
Cynar had 14 saves for Harvard. He stopped two Fairfield shots from point-blank range in the closing seconds, one as time expired.
Harvard's set offense continued to improve in this game with both DeVries and Primm tallying four assists.
The Crimson returns home this Saturday for its next game, hosting Cornell at Jordan Field.