“We have a really great freshman class,” Shaughnessy said. “A lot of players are going to make and already have made impacts. It’s one of the best freshman classes we’ve had in awhile.”

UMass’ four-goal victory didn’t show up in the key statistics. The Crimson held a 15-12 edge in ground balls and won nine of 14 draw controls. The Minutewomen, though, held a slight edge in shots on goal at 20-19.

“Our game plan was just to set the precedent for rest of the season,” Hussey said. “This season is a turnaround season. We want to be among the top 16 in the [national] rankings. UMass is a very respectable and good team, but that’s the kind of swing game that we need to win. We learned that we needed to be tougher mentally. That was a good, early wake up call.”

Mancini, who played just five minutes all of last season, made five saves in her first collegiate start, while Doyle stopped 14 Harvard shots in the win.

“I thought she did an awesome job,” Hussey said of Mancini, who became the team’s starting goaltender when junior Nora Guyer left the team last month. “That’s all we can ask of her. Sometimes we left people wide open in front of the crease, and that’s unfair to her. But this is a new defense, and we’re not all on the same page yet. Once we start playing as a unit, though, we’re going to be.”

Shaughnessy agreed.

“[Mancini] played great,” Shaughnessy said. “She’s really stepped up to the challenge. Her whole mentality is great, and her confidence level is high. She’s going to be a really important part of our defense all year.”

The Crimson hosts local rival Boston College on Wednesday to begin its home schedule.

“It’s good that we only have a few more days until our next game,” Shaughnessy said. “We’re eager to play again after this loss and bounce back.”

Game time is 3:30 p.m. at Jordan Field.

UMASS 9, W. LACROSSE 5

at Richard F. Garber Field, Amherst, MA

Harvard (0-1) 2 3 — 5

UMass (3-0) 2 7 — 9

Scoring: H Goals: Kutner, Brooks, Belitsos, Shaughnessy, O’Brien. H Assists: Moroz. M Goals: Robinson 4, Zelinger 3, Kain, Kurtz. M Assists—Kurtz, Emery, Pollack. Shots: H 19, M 20. Draw Controls: H 9, M 5. Free Positions: H 1-for-5, M 2-for-6. Saves: H Mancini 5, M Doyle 14.