“We’re hosting, we’re hosting, we’re hosting.”

Those words shrilly echoed through the Murr Center Tuesday night as the No. 14 Harvard field hockey team was swept by the realization that its NCAA tournament road would begin at Jordan Field on Saturday, later set for 11 a.m.

Now the next step for Harvard is to take full advantage of its fortunate situation by delivering the complete hockey game against No. 3 Michigan St. that has been elusive against top-ranked competition all season.

Harvard (12-5) may be distant from the Spartans (21-2) in the national rankings. But because the Crimson has the experience of playing within a goal of No. 2 Wake Forest and led before slipping up against No. 8 Northeastern, there’s no sense of a wide disparity.

“I really feel we don’t have that many leaps that we have to make to come up with wins this weekend,” says junior Kate McDavitt, who leads Harvard with 14 goals and six assists this year. “A lot of the games we lost this season were because we didn’t come out as strong as we should have.”

Unlike the Harvard team that made the tournament in 2000, this year’s squad has tournament experience and consequently higher expectations.

“Half these kids were in the tournament two years ago, and we were really just thrilled to be in it,” says Harvard coach Sue Caples. “Now we have to show that we can win.”

Harvard has stayed in control of all but a few of its games. Only Princeton and Wake Forest have outshot Harvard this year—Wake Forest by just a 16-14 margin.

Two key areas of improvement this season that allow Harvard to hold those statistics at the national level are its team defense and its drawing and execution of corners.

Back in 2000 when McDavitt was a freshman, she could electrify crowds with her ability to consistently maneuver between defenders. When she returned this season after missing all her sophomore year to knee injuries, her speed was no longer there. Instead she fit into an offense more focused on good passing and avoiding getting caught in possession.

“The most improvement I’ve had to make this year is my vision on the field and passing,” McDavitt says. “I can’t do those one-on-ones that I used to. I had to adjust my game more to passing and just really playing with the team.”

McDavitt’s return this season was a blessing to the team from the beginning.

“It’s been really inspirational to see her come back,” says sister Jen McDavitt, a Crimson starter in the midfield. “I know it was so hard for her. To see her so was tough for me as well, because I loved playing with her, I wanted her back on the field. She’s not 100 percent, but she’s definitely putting her heart into it.”

Despite the injuries, McDavitt doubled her goal total from freshman year.

“That’s been kind of a surprise to me, but the team’s definitely stronger,” she says. “Basically my spots on corners and my spots upfield are pretty much the places you need to be in order to get the ball in front of the net. That’s helpful.”