After a tough loss to nationally-ranked Princeton last weekend, the Harvard field hockey team (8-6, 3-2 Ivy) returned to action over the weekend and split its two games at Jordan Field.

On Friday, the Crimson couldn’t overcome a slow start against Dartmouth and dropped its second consecutive Ivy contest 4-2. The loss dropped Harvard into a third place tie with the Big Green (11-4, 3-2 Ivy) in the Ivy standings, behind undefeated Princeton and second place Penn.

The Crimson rebounded on Sunday and put forth a dominant defensive effort to defeat crosstown foe Boston University 1-0 on Senior Day.

Harvard seniors Natalia Berry, Eliza Dick, Heather Hussey, Sarah Luskin, Katie Turck and captain Jane Park were honored in a pre-game ceremony.

The win was the Crimson’s first against the Terriers (8-10) since 1991 and gave Harvard this year’s Teapot crown, the field hockey equivalent of the Beanpot. The Crimson defeated Northeastern and Boston College earlier this season for a sweep of its three Boston rivals.

Harvard 1, B.U. 0

The Harvard defense dominated the Terriers, and junior forward Philomena Gambale provided all the offense in the Crimson’s Sunday win.

The game’s lone goal came in the sixth minute on a Crimson penalty corner when Gambale knocked in the rebound off a shot by freshman Shelley Maasdorp. Terrier goalie Susan Harrington made the initial save, but the ball bounced past her and onto the stick of Gambale, who stuffed it home.

Gambale said the team used some extra emotion to step up its play.

“It was Senior Day, and we kind of had to take back our field after losing on it a couple of times,” Gambale said.

The score came as a result of an aggressive Crimson assault over the first ten minutes of the game that resulted in four penalty corners and constant pressure on Harrington.

The Terriers finally broke through the suffocating Harvard defense for their first scoring opportunity in the 16th minute, but sophomore netminder Katie Zacarian was solid in goal, making two diving saves to preserve the Harvard advantage.

B.U. mounted another charge late in the first half and created its third penalty corner with just 30 seconds remaining. A shot by Terrier junior Jane Rogers went wide and the Crimson took a one-goal lead into intermission.

Harvard came out aggressive in the second half and nearly had another goal in the opening seconds, but a backhander by Maasdorp rolled wide of the post.