The same formation that limited the Eli offense naturally allowed Yale to keep the backfield crowded. Despite consistently maintaining possession of the ball for most of the second half, Harvard still struggled to mount a consistent attack.

“I think they realized we didn’t play with an outside midfielder to start off with,” Westfall said. “They put in a 4-4-2 and spread it out really wide. So it was hard for us in the middle to come in and receive it. Tactically they were set for us, so I gave them a lot of credit.”

The victory allowed the Crimson to keep pace with undefeated Princeton atop the Ivy Standings. A tie would have been a significant black mark on Harvard’s Ivy title hopes. Now Harvard will hope for the Elis to disrupt the other league frontrunners.

“[A tie] would have been disappointing since it wasn’t the outcome that we wanted,” Westfall said. “They’re going to be tough to beat. I give them a lot of credit.”

Harvard’s next challenge is the season’s first nationally-ranked opponent, No. 25 Massachusetts (4-1). The ranking disparity exists despite the teams’ similar records and the Crimson’s superior recent NCAA performances. Harvard will get the chance to prove itself Tuesday at 3 p.m. on Ohiri Field.