UMass managed two goals in the fourth quarter, but was unable to catch the Crimson.
The win comes as an unexpected momentum boost to Harvard after a tough 15-4 loss at the hands of Bucknell on March 6.
“That definitely knocked the wind out of our sails,” said McKenna.
Cohen said the loss to Bucknell inspired a feverish level of practice last week in preparation to face the Minutemen powerhouse.
“We put in a great week of practice as a team,” said Cohen. “A lot of the success came from individual effort.”
Harvard will look to carry the momentum off this victory into next week, when the squad will face Holy Cross (0-3) in Worcester on Tuesday and Fairfield at home on Saturday.
—Staff writer Nathaniel A. Smith can be reached at nsmith@fas.harvard.edu.