The Crimson then joined one of the strongest fields in recent memory at the Eastern Championships, needing a third-place finish to earn a return trip to Nationals. But Harvard found itself so shorthanded that it had to ask former players junior Jill Ono and sophomore Jane Humphries to play. Despite their admirable contributions, the Crimson fell behind Princeton 4-0 after one quarter en route to dropping its first contest, 11-7. Against Indiana, Peterson scored her third, fourth, and fifth goals of the tournament, but an eight-tally second-quarter explosion from Indiana condemned Harvard to a 14-8 loss. In Harvard's final game of the season against George Washington, Humphries and second-team all-tournament honoree Magnuson each notched four goals in an 11-8 victory that gave the Crimson a seventh-place finish in the tourney.

Joining Magnuson as second-team all-tournament selections were Gunderson and McCarthy, while Meiers earned an honorable mention.

With the end of its season, the depleted Harvard team was left to wonder what might have been as it watched Brown, whom it defeated earlier in the year, take Easterns and the bid to Nationals.

"It was a disappointing end," McCarthy said, "but it was almost inevitable, given the physical shape we were in."

Sadly, the season's final game also marked the end of the collegiate careers of great teammates and friends Gunderson and Magnuson. The two, both of Scandinavian descent, have been called the Bobbsey Twins for their closeness in and out of the water.

"I'll definitely miss being able to play with her," said Magnuson. "We had an odd bond that I've never had before and everyone seemed to notice."

Gunderson echoed those sentiments.

"I couldn't have asked for anyone better to be my partner for these four years, so it's definitely very sad to be ending our careers," she said "Together, we've been able to do more than twice what we could have done as individuals."