Ripmaster had many of the best Crimson scoring chances. Early in the game she took a shot from the 18 that just went wide of the net. Minutes later she received a long pass deep into the box, leaving her with only one defender to beat. But the Aggie player took her down, and the referee held his whistle, so the chance went for naught.

The most encouraging news was the play of the freshman midfielders, Westfall and Caitlin Fisher. Westfall especially was superb at times, frequently managing to eschew defenders and chip the ball into open territory. At one point she won a loose ball away from a rush of three Aggie players. Still a young player, she drew more criticism from the sidelines than anyone else, which means she is only going to get better.

With the loss to Texas A&M, the Crimson dropped out of the top 20 of all the major collegiate polls. Harvard failed to stay close to one of the nation's best on its first try, but the team won't have to wait long for another chance to prove itself. In the coming weeks Harvard will play top-ten caliber Hartford, Penn State, and UConn. By then, the Crimson should be healthier and wiser.