Junior back LIZ ANDREWS scored two goals Saturday, both on penalty corners.

The No. 14 Harvard field hockey team lived up to its expectations and put the nation’s third-best team on its heels in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday.

But the unfortunate reality for the Crimson was that it fell just short of translating a convincing 20-2 second-half shot advantage into a comeback from a two-goal halftime deficit, as Michigan State ended Harvard’s NCAA run with a 4-3 victory.

The Crimson (12-6) did become the only team other than No. 1 Old Dominion to score three goals against the Spartans (22-2), and the only team besides defending national champion Michigan to outscore them in a half.

Despite its offensive success—two goals by junior Liz Andrews on penalty corners and another goal from junior Mina Pell—the Crimson still felt it should have scored more on its home turf.

“Our team was very comfortable with the situation out there,” said Harvard coach Sue Caples. “It took a few minutes in the beginning, but then we dominated and possessed the ball. We did everything except put the ball in the net.”

Harvard won eight penalty corners in the second half, but could not cut into its 4-2 halftime deficit until Andrews hit the back of the net on the final one with 1:37 left. The score snapped a streak of 22 straight games in which Michigan State goalkeeper Kirkaldy had allowed two or fewer goals.

Caples called timeout to set up a last-gasp rally, but the Crimson failed to maintain any possession of the ball deeper in the Spartans’ end as time ticked away.

The Harvard offense had several near-misses prior to Andrews’ second goal. The Crimson’s biggest obstacle proved not to be Michigan State goalkeeper Christina Kirkaldy, the national leader in goals-against average and save percentage entering the day, but rather the Spartan defenders.

On three occasions, Spartan players packing the net and made defensive saves after Harvard had gotten the ball behind Kirkaldy. Kirkaldy herself made just four saves, including a couple one-on-one stops against Harvard senior Philomena Gambale.

The Crimson executed its game plan without fail in the second half by maintaining possession and quickly forcing turnovers deep in the Spartans’ defensive end after losing the ball. Michigan State sustained little second-half offense other than two penalty corners.

“We did a great job of not letting the ball out of their defensive 15 and that made a big difference,” McDavitt said. “We played more of an even game the first half with them, and then we dominated the second half. It was do-or-die.”

The first half was more closely played than the 4-2 result might have indicated. Through the first 30 minutes, every time Michigan State scored, Harvard answered within seven minutes.

The Crimson lost the game by surrendering two goals in the half’s last five minutes.

Michigan State went ahead 3-2 on a well-executed penalty corner, as leading scorer Annebet Beerman took the initial drive and Michelle Carstens deflected the ball up over Crimson goalkeeper Katie Zacarian.

Just a few minutes later, the Spartans brought the ball deep into the Harvard end and lobbed a high, troublesome ball towards Zacarian. When Zacarian failed to clear the ball after making the initial save, Spartan Cynthia Martin crashed the net and finished for the 4-2 lead.