“Getting women to put down their wooden stick was a big hurdle,” Kleinfelder said. “The biggest concern was that the plastic stick would hurt people.”

“Finally we came up with a design, and it was great,” she added. “People still use that stick today.”

Designing the first women’s molded lacrosse stick is a minor accomplishment, however, in comparison to her saving opposing teams whose programs had been cut and, most importantly, her crusading for equal funding of women’s sports at Harvard.

“Carole was one of the real pioneers in getting women’s sports to where they are today,” said Harvard men’s lacrosse coach Scott Anderson.

“Carole is concerned with the sport of lacrosse beyond her team,” Nelson agreed. “And not just lacrosse but women’s sports in general.”

That leadership manifested itself most clearly at the beginning of the 1990s, when women’s sports were losing ground that they had gained years earlier from Title IX.

“There was some pulling back from Title IX in 1990,” Kleinfelder said. “Schools started to drop women’s programs. It was appalling. Thankfully that’s all changed. There’s been a major shift.”

That shift back in favor of women’s sports, both at Harvard and nationally, can be partially traced back to Kleinfelder. In 1990, three universities—Rutgers, UMass and Northeastern—announced they were cutting women’s lacrosse teams, programs that had begun under Title IX just years earlier.

“‘We ought to do something, women’s lacrosse just lost three teams,’” Kleinfelder recalled telling her players. “‘We have a vehicle—we’re in the national championship and will have publicity.’”

At that national championship—an 8-7 Crimson victory over Maryland—and throughout the playoffs, the Crimson donned ribbons. When the press noticed and asked why the team had worn ribbons, the story of the programs being cut received a great deal of media attention.

“It had a great effect, something as simple as ribbons,” Kleinfelder said.

Three days after the story of Harvard’s solidarity with the doomed lacrosse programs ran, a member of the Board of Trustees at Rutgers called Kleinfelder to discuss the article. Rutgers reversed its decisions and reinstated its program that year. UMass followed suit a year later.

The 1990 national championship game is well remembered for the ribbons Harvard donned, but it may be better remembered for how it forever changed the game of women’s lacrosse.

Down by four goals, Kleinfelder made a switch in her defensive scheme, double teaming the other team’s attacker. Having an extra player in the defensive end gave the advantage to Harvard—the Crimson clogged its end, limiting shots and cutting back goals, as well as forcing more turnovers.

“Carole was the first person to pull this coaching move and she effectively used it to win the national championship,” Leary said. “This strategy turned the tide and helped lead us to victory in 1990.”