"We had our chances today," Caples said. "The kids left it on the field."

Zacarian's competitive edge, in particular, came from the nature of the opponent. Her hometown, Amherst, is also the home of the Minutewomen.

"It was kind of a homecoming for me," Zacarian said. "There were lots of teammates, rivals, and friends. That made it very fun, but disappointing all the more."

It was Harvard's second heart-breaking loss in a row to UMass, the Crimson having blown a 2-0 lead against the Minutewomen last year. Harvard has come oh-so-close to beating Top 10 opponents in the past two seasons, but no game was closer than this one.

Although the loss was disappointing, the Crimson should have no trouble coming back. The outlook was positive all-around.

"We will rebound," Caples said. "How we respond will be a test of character. I have all the confidence in the world we will come back."

Soothing the loss is the memory that Harvard was able to push nation's ninth-best team to its limit. In a game against a NCAA Tournament-caliber team that exhibited a postseason level of play, the Crimson players proved once again that they can compete with the best.