But the Crimson’s lack of depth eventually caught up with Harvard. The Bulldogs took the bottom four matches to put themselves in position to capture the victory. Illingworth sealed the deal with his concluding win.
With the loss, the fourth-seeded Crimson will open its quest for the national title against the University of Western Ontario. A win in that match would likely pit Harvard against No. 1 Trinity, which beat the Crimson 8-1 Feb. 1. The Bantams have won the last five national championships and are currently riding a 77-game win streak.
“That’s what it’s all about, playing with the best,” Bajwa said. “We have to beat [Trinity] sometime.”
If Yale can get by Cornell and then win a likely semifinal matchup against Princeton, Harvard could also earn another shot at the Bulldogs.
“We will be looking for revenge...in a competitive way,” Bajwa said.