Another year, another Ivy League title for the Harvard softball squad.

The Crimson won its second consecutive conference title in dramatic fashion, catching league leader Cornell in the final weekend by sweeping Dartmouth at the Big Green's home field.

Although the championship ride was not as smooth as the 2000 iteration, the Crimson showed its mettle down the stretch and shares the title with the Big Red.

"Everything fell together at the end," said newly elected junior co-captain Tiffany Whitton. "We went out and showed how we can play against Dartmouth."

After gaining a share of the title, the Crimson lost two straight games to Cornell that would have sent them to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.

Tough times marked the start of the year. The team's trip to the highly competitive Worth Invitational produced four losses to top-ranked squads who had begun their seasons months before.

Another big blow to the Crimson was the injury to sophomore catcher and team sparkplug Monica Monijo. Montijo was cleated in a collision at the plate against then-No. 4 Cal-Berkeley, and required 300 stitches to mend the gash.

Things would quickly pick up for Harvard. The Crimson traveled south for its spring break trip, the Buzz Classic in Georgia.