The Harvard women’s soccer team plays with three central midfielders, including senior former All-American Katie Westfall and talented sophomore Maile Tavepholjalern, generally relying on them to direct its offense.

But facing a Penn team that hadn’t lost in ten games dating back to last season and features a host of big, athletic central players, the Crimson took an entirely different tact, taking the ball outside and attacking from the wings en route to a 2-1 win in its Ivy opener.

“One of our goals this season is to try to swing it around and have one forward wide so that we can use that space on opposite sides,” senior striker Alisa Sato said.

“We like to get the ball into the middle of the midfield and then pop it out wide,” Harvard coach Tim Wheaton added. “When we did that, we were effective. Both goals came from us getting the ball out wide in the attacking third and then going at them.”

Sato and junior forward Alisha Moran each scored for the Crimson (3-3-1, 1-0 Ivy) and assisted on the other’s tally.

Moran had the game-winner just two minutes into the second half, when she finished after Sato cut in from the left side and slipped the ball to her.

“When I get the ball on the outside, it opens up space for me so I can take on a player—the right back here,” Sato said. “It just opens up holes in the middle if you open up the field.”

Sato’s goal came in the 12th minute. She took a long ball from Moran over the top of the Quaker defense and toe-poked it past the goalkeeper.

Scoring so early in each half allowed Harvard to keep the pressure on Penn (3-1-2).

“That sets the tone,” Wheaton said. “The timing of goals makes a big difference. Getting one early let us relax a little bit and play a little more comfortable.

“Then getting one early in the second half, again, we felt like, ‘O.K. We can do this. We’re in control of it,’ so it was good timing.”

The Crimson had success all game working the ball down the sidelines.

Early on, senior back Lauren Cozzolino and Sato combined with help from Westfall and Tavepholjalern to generate several dangerous attacks down the right flank, while junior forward Emily Colvin, Moran and co-captain left back Caitlin Fisher worked on the opposite wing.

In the eighth minute, Colvin hustled to take the ball off a Penn defender and win a corner. Westfall took the corner and Sato hit a full volley, but sent it right at the keeper.

Sato had another chance just two minutes later when Westfall took a ball to the right away from pressure and slid it to Moran, but Sato’s shot was just wide left.