“Midfield and defense are our team’s biggest strengths this season,” said assistant coach Sara Nelson ’94. “Most of our talent and experience lies in these areas.”

The same cannot be said of the Crimson attack, where graduation has left a couple of glaring holes.

“Our attack is very young,” Nelson said. “Certainly the loss of Ali Harper [’01] leaves a hole.”

Harper scored 39 goals and recorded 12 assists for Harvard on her way to third-team All-American and first-team All-Ivy honors.

Her leadership will also be missed, but Hussey and Walton are certainly more than capable of filling that void.

After playing three seasons on defense, Walton recently moved up to attack to provide offense and much-needed leadership.

“Although she is new to the position, she brings a physical and vocal presence which we need and [she] will lead the attack,” Nelson said.

Alongside Walton, fellow senior Melissa Christino is expected to branch off somewhat from her traditional setup role and become an even greater scoring force.

“[Melissa] is an excellent feeder,” Nelson said. “She will also be asked to be a real scoring threat this year.”

She’ll have to be, as the Crimson doesn’t have Harper, who scored all four of Harvard’s goals against No. 1 Maryland, to rely on any more.

However, not having Harper may be a blessing in disguise.

“We feel that as a group, the [offense] will be able to step up and spread out some of the scoring responsibilities,” Nelson said.

More importantly, patience and composure in the attacking zone have been a real focus this preseason. The coaches and players believe that the new chemistry up front will help.

“Certainly this group is more poised and patient than last year’s attack,” Nelson said. “It’s much more balanced in terms of scoring ability.”

Kutner and Gotha will also be expected to provide offensive support from the backfield.