“Laura and Kathryn have both come in and done a great job,” Cebron says. “When you play with them, you don’t feel like you’re playing with freshmen.”

Unfortunately for Harvard, the other members of the Ancient Eight have brought in some strong recruits, too.

Fellow Ivy defending champion Yale—who defeated the Crimson in the season-ending playoff to determine the recipient of the automatic NCAA bid—has added a talented freshman class to a squad that already possesses several accomplished returning players.

And Penn, the perennial champion who just missed out on getting a piece of the league title last season, has brought in four freshmen in an effort to regain its place atop the Ancient Eight standings.

“There is so much parity in the league every year,” Weiss says. “We’re not going to take anyone lightly.”

But the Crimson’s opponents would also do well to adopt a similar mentality, for Harvard’s ability is not to be underestimated. While the Crimson only has one senior on the roster, all the upperclassmen have faced the heat of a championship race and learned how to come out on top.

Combine this invaluable experience with a balanced attack and a deep bench, and Harvard has the recipe for success.

“We have a great shot this year,” Cebron says. “We know we can do it—we know what it feels like to win.”

—Staff writer Karan Lodha can be reached at klodha@fas.harvard.edu.