The Harvard women’s lacrosse team stumbled late in yesterday afternoon’s game against Quinnipiac, but it never fell.

The Crimson (2-0) rode a blowout first-half margin through a weaker second frame to top the Bobcats 13-11. Harvard used its substantial lead at the half to play more from its bench, but Quinnipiac (0-3) took advantage of the Crimson’s fluctuating lineup to jump back into a game that had seemed assuredly within Harvard’s control.

The first and second halves seemed like different games, as the tides of momentum changed dramatically in the Bobcats’ favor.

“Because we had such a substantial lead going into the second half, we may have let up a little bit and really not have taken them as seriously,” captain Catherine Sproul said.

After beginning the second half with a seven-minute scoring drought, the Crimson spread its lead to 11-3 with goals from free position by sophomore attackman Perry Barlow and freshman midfielder Ali Hines.

Harvard played much of its roster in the second half—lending experience to new players, but also disrupting the team’s cohesiveness to open the door for a second-half Quinnipiac run.

“I think it’s not who was on the field, but that the combination was changing all the time,” senior midfielder Casey Owens said. “It’s hard to get into a groove.”

Quinnipiac responded in furious form, outscoring the Crimson 8-4 in the second period and 6-1 in the final 10 minutes of the game.

“The mental aspect of being on top by eight—you see it as a huge lead, so you think you can take more risks or get a little lackadaisical with passing or catching,” Owens said.

Although Harvard had the insurance of a wide lead, the team began to lose touch with its fundamentals in the second half, especially in the midfield.

“Our play started to get sloppy. I think we started to lose confidence as a team, and that led to us having problems doing the basics—catching and throwing,” freshman midfielder Natalie Curtis said. “That’s pretty much what you do in the midfield.”

Nevertheless, the Crimson made eight turnovers in the second half, half as many as in the first and the same number as Quinnipiac. The Bobcats did, however, seize possession on eight of 12 faceoffs in the second half.

Despite its late offensive outpouring, Quinnipiac never managed to draw closer than two points from Harvard, thanks to the insurance provided by the Crimson’s first-half attack.

Freshman midfielder Natalie Curtis and attackman Tara Schoen both recorded hat tricks in the first half, leading Harvard to a gaping 9-3 margin at the buzzer.

“They’re not only capable of playing college lacrosse, but capable of dominating,” Sproul said. “The numbers are an accurate reflection of their ability.”