But non-conference games are not without their purpose, serving to help the Crimson test their mettle for the league schedule that lies ahead.
“Ivy games are always crucial to any Harvard team,” Wheaton said.
So far, the Crimson has not fared well against ranked opponents, falling to No. 13 Penn State and No. 24 Stanford.
Some members of the team feel that they haven’t shown all that they are capable of.
“We just lost 2-1 to Stanford in a game we didn’t play 75 percent as well as we could,” Westfall said.
But if Harvard is going anywhere this season, the squad needs to prove it can win games against ranked opponents. So, as the women say, this weekend is a focal point.
Plus, the road to this year’s Ivy League Championship could go through New Jersey—specifically, No. 25 Princeton—so knowing how to beat a ranked team will come in handy later in the year.