During the 67th minute, the Crimson employed this strategy to get behind the Big Red defense after sophomore forward Matt Hoff sent a through ball to classmate Charles Altchek. Though several of the Cornell players looked at the officials expecting an offsides call, none was forthcoming, and Altchek lofted the ball over Mahoney’s head in a one-on-one situation. The tally was Altchek’s first goal since coming back from a knee injury.

“I was just really happy when I finally put one in,” Altcheck said.

Altcheck’s goal was the last point scored from either side but it was not the end of the action. According to the Harvard players, Big Red midfielder Sean Mendy elbowed Hoff in the back of the head as he was running back into the play on the opposite side of the field.

“That’s why Hoff was so mad and in his face—because the guy took a cheap shot,” Craig said.

Hoff ran over to try and even the score, but Altcheck was able to stop any serious retaliation from Hoff.

“The linesman was watching,” Altchek said. “So I knew [Hoff] would get a red card [if I didn’t stop him].”

Mendy was awarded a yellow card for his actions, one of three Cornell players to receive them through the day. Mendy received most of the attention from the crowd, who taunted him for much of the game.

“[The] poor kid,” Craig said. “He was taking a lot of [heat].”

Harvard will need some fire of its own going into this next week against some of the top teams in the region. It faces Holy Cross—ranked fourth in the region by NSCAA—today and No. 21 Brown on Saturday.

“We feel like we’re back in it now,” Craig said.