Freshman Taryn Kurcz still remembers her first day of preseason with the Harvard women’s soccer team.

The California-native, whose goal against Cornell last Saturday earned her the Ivy League Rookie of the Week, was nervous. When practice ended, Kurcz was unsure of how her performance stacked up on this new stage. But her fears were quickly dispelled.

“I remember [Katherine Sheeleigh] coming up to me and saying, ‘Taryn, you did a great job,’” Kurcz said.

Without a doubt, Sheeleigh’s performance on the field speaks for itself. The junior forward leads the Crimson with five goals, three of which came this past week in Harvard’s two victories over Fairfield and Cornell.

But it’s been her leadership development this season that her teammates have really noticed.

“When she plays with a certain intensity in these games she’s setting an example for some of the younger players,” co-captain Lizzy Nichols said.

“If we’re having an off day she’s the one who steps up,” freshman Alexandra Conigliaro said. “She’s always raising the standards.”

On the field, Sheeleigh’s recent success could not have come at a more crucial time for the Crimson.

Entering the start of Ancient Eight play with a 1-5-1 non-conference record two weeks ago,

Harvard knew its hope of returning to the NCAA tournament for the second straight season rested on its performane in Ivy League play.

And since the Crimson opened its conference schedule on Sept. 26, the team has amassed a four-game winning streak and currently sits atop the Ivy League standings—largely thanks to the efforts of Sheeleigh.

“She’s extremely fast, she’s tough, [and] she has that mentality that a forward needs to be successful,” Nichols said.

In Harvard’s two victories over Fairfield and Cornell this past week, the junior standout led the Crimson offensively, taking 12 shots and scoring three goals, including the game-winner in the Fairfield match.

“She has a very competitive spirit and attitude when it comes to games and I think the nature of the Ivy League pulls that out of anyone,” Nichols said.

The first of Sheeleigh’s two goals against Fairfield came just over two minutes into the game.

The two-time First Team All-Ivy selection received a pass from junior midfielder Kerry Kartsonis, who is also a Crimson sports editor, inside the box.

From 10 yards out, Sheeleigh took the shot at goal, which was dropped by Stags goalie Kelly Boudreau inside the net.

After Fairfield evened the score at 1-1, the New Jersey-native gave Harvard the lead yet again in the 43rd minute.

This time, sophomore forward Patricia Yau set up Sheeleigh, who blasted the ball through the Stags defense from 15 yards out, putting her team ahead for good.

After that victory, Harvard met Cornell in its second Ivy League matchup of the season.

Sheeleigh tried to get things going for the Crimson offense in the first half, leading her team with three shots.

But at the break, the score remained knotted at 0-0.

“[At halftime] we were satisfied that we had been getting good chances and we knew the goals would follow,” Sheeleigh said.

And Sheeleigh helped ensure that the scoreboard would not remain blank.

Harvard struck first in the 53rd minute off a goal from Kurcz.

And it didn’t take long for Sheeleigh to get in on the action, as she added her own score in the 56th minute.

The 2007 Ivy League Rookie of the Year received the ball out of the air and found Conigliaro, who quickly returned it with a through ball that Sheeleigh finished.

“It was just kind of one of those perfect goals,” Nichols said.

The Crimson offense has stepped up in recent matches, scoring eleven goals in its past four games after being held to just six in the team’s first seven contests.

“I think offensively we are really starting to click,” said Sheeleigh, who, with five goals already this season, has nearly surpassed the six goals she scored as a sophomore in 2008.

“We have phenomenal forwards and midfielders,” Nichols said. “Sheeleigh does a great job of leading that attack.”