In the 18th minute, Colvin sent a left-footed blast from the top of the box wide right.

Harvard effectively contained Penn junior Katy Cross, the Quakers’ all-time leading scorer and the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year, for most of the game.

Cross broke free momentarily in the 17th minute and ran through much of the Crimson defense, but junior back Liza Barber stepped up to stick her.

In the 32nd minute, though, Cross found some space on the left side, got to the end line and found Samantha Spencer in front for the equalizer.

Harvard nearly took the lead back just two minutes later as Westfall looked dangerous in the box, stepping over the ball and taking it to the right before finding sophomore forward Ayo Adigun, but Adigun’s shot got caught between a defender’s legs.

In the second half, the Crimson had several chances to tack on an insurance tally, including in the 51st minute, when it couldn’t capitalize on a ball bouncing free in the Penn box.

In the 63rd minute, Harvard had perhaps its best combination of the day, as Fisher found Sato checking on the left side. Sato sent it to Colvin, who brought it to the corner. There, she sent a cross to Moran, who headed it and won a corner that led to a shot from Tavepholjalern that a Quaker defender had to head off the line.

Penn didn’t make it easy for the Crimson to hang on to its lead. Fisher had to make a 70-yard tracking run in the 68th minute to break up a Quaker attack, and sophomore goalkeeper Katie Shields stoned a Cross one-touch from inside the 12 three minutes later.

The win puts Harvard in a good position entering what promises to be a hotly-contested conference season.

“The Ivy League is tight—really, really tight,” Wheaton said. “Any time [we play] we want to play good soccer, but in the Ivy League, a win’s a win’s a win, so we’re happy to get a W.”

—Staff writer Alan G. Ginsberg can be reached at aginsber@fas.harvard.edu.