The loss was especially painful for the Harvard seniors. Co-captain left back Caitlin Fisher, Hodel, Sato, Westfall and defender Lauren Cozzolino were playing the last home game of their collegiate careers and were honored before the match.

“This has been a wonderful senior class,” Colvin said. “They’ve held us together really well.”

The Crimson travels to Columbia next weekend, where it will attempt to wrap up its 2003 season on a high note. The game will also mark the final collegiate contest for the quintet of seniors, a point which is not lost on the players.

“We won’t have any trouble getting up for this game,” Hodel said.

Harvard is hoping that the memories that its seniors take from their last collegiate game will be better than the ones from their final home match.

—Staff writer Nathaniel A. Smith can be reached at nsmith@fas.harvard.edu.