Casscells-Hamby’s goal underlined a strong performance by her and other members of her freshman class.

Both Emba and rookie goalkeeper Bethany Kanten had crucial saves, while Urke continued to make plays in the midfield.

Casscells-Hamby said she and her classmates have had a smooth transition to the college game.

“None of us have really felt like freshmen,” she said. “We all just feel like a part of the team.”

After the goal, the Crimson changed its formation slightly to provide more defensive cover, while the Stags made a late push for a tying goal.

Fairfield senior forward Jasmin Corniel, a halftime substitute, used her physical presence to drive the ball down the wing and test the Harvard defense with numerous crosses in the final minutes.

With two minutes left in the game, Corniel put in a cross that was headed towards goal, directly in between Kanten and onrushing Stags attackers.  Kanten barely won the race to the ball, punching it clear before colliding with a Stags forward.

From there, the Crimson maintained possession and ran out the clock, registering a midweek win to help carry the squad into Ivy League play this weekend.

“We took a different tactical approach [in the second half],” Johnson said.  “We put different people in different places. We had some fresh legs, and there was also a mentality switch.  We just turned it on.”