Sophomore Aisha Price, shown here in earlier action, headed in a goal late against Dartmouth to pull Harvard within a score. Unfortunately for the Crimson, it could not find the equalizer, as the squad was officially eliminated from contention for a third straight Ivy crown.

Last year, the Harvard women’s soccer team beat Dartmouth, 2-1. With the win, the squad clinched the Ivy League title.

Things went a little differently this time.

Despite a late push, the Crimson (7-7-1, 3-3 Ivy) couldn’t catch the Big Green (6-7-2, 3-2-1) Saturday at Dartmouth, falling, 3-2. With the loss, Harvard fell out of contention for its third straight league crown.

“It’s a tough loss,” Crimson coach Ray Leone said. “We did some great things, and so did Dartmouth, and I have to give them credit that they put in three and we put two. It’s as simple as that.”

In the 33rd matchup between the two squads, the Big Green took control early, finding the back of the net within the first 10 minutes.

Harvard responded quickly. Just over three minutes later, sophomore Alexandra Conigliaro found co-captain Katherine Sheeleigh, who maneuvered around the Dartmouth goalie to tie the score at one apiece.

“She didn’t get a lot of looks, but obviously the one she got was a great finish,” Leone said of the goal.

20 minutes after Sheeleigh evened the score, Big Green senior Melisa Krnjaic hit the ball over Crimson goalie AJ Millet and into the goal to put the home team back on top. Shortly after the new half began, Krnjaic struck again, giving Dartmouth a two-goal advantage.

“To be down two made it difficult,” Leone said. “But it wasn’t insurmountable...[and] the team would not go easily into the night.”

“The second half, obviously our back’s against the wall,” sophomore Aisha Price added. “And so we knew that we had to pull up, play hard, and see what could happen.”

With a little more than 11 minutes to play, the effort paid off, as Price headed a Conigliaro corner kick past the Big Green goalie to cut the deficit in half.

In the remaining time, Harvard threatened and pushed hard for the equalizer, with Sheeleigh even firing a shot as time expired. But the Crimson came up short.

“We weren’t giving up hope,” Price said. “We just kept on fighting, kept on trying to get a goal off, trying to get good plays off. We literally fought until the last second.”

After taking 31 shots in its last match against Quinnipiac, Harvard continued its strong offensive play. Despite only scoring twice, the Crimson outshot Dartmouth, 8-7, and had 12 corner kicks compared to the Big Green’s one.

“We moved the ball at times and played incredible attacking soccer at times...against a really great defensive team,” Leone said. “[And] to get [12] corner kicks in a game is amazing.”