The Crimson also cited the poor playing conditions as a reason for why the traditionally easy matchup became so contentious.
“The dim lighting made it kind of a sleepy gym,” McKiernan said.
“The gym itself was pretty crappy,” Fitz said. “The lighting was horrible, and it was difficult to adjust to.”
The Engineers were celebrating senior night—a factor which contributed to their inspired play.
“They were definitely playing their best match,” McKiernan said.
But Harvard remained confident throughout the match, drawing on history as a source of motivation.
“We have a general policy of never losing to MIT, and we certainly fulfilled that tonight,” McKiernan said. “We still know we could have played a lot better.”
—Staff writer Michael R. James can be reached at mrjames@fas.harvard.edu.