Although the Crimson found itself within one goal at the start of the fourth quarter, Brown’s defense took control of the game and shut Harvard out in the period. The Bears would go on to score three goals to secure the 16-12 win.

“I think two or three times we came back from three goals down,” Minnis said. “You exert a lot of energy when you’re trying to come back, and we just couldn’t get over the hump and we ran out of gas. Brown did a good job, they played real well, and they had a little bit more gas in the tank in the end.”

Co-captain Aisha Price was the high-scorer for the Crimson with four goals on the game. Sophomore Ariel Dukes posted a team-high five steals and led the way for Harvard with four saves in goal.

With the win, the Bears advanced to the championship, where they lost to No. 12 Princeton, 12-4.

HARVARD 17, MERCYHURST 8

In its first game of the tournament, the Crimson dismantled the Lakers (13-13) from start to finish, cruising to a nine-goal victory.

Although Harvard had already defeated Mercyhurst, 11-3, earlier this season, the team did not take its opponent lightly in the second showdown.

Andersen led the way for the Crimson with five goals, three assists, and four steals. Shayna Price scored four times, and Aisha Price and freshman Charlotte Hendrix both found the back of the net more than once.

Although Harvard held the lead the entire game, the team was up just 6-3 after two periods. But the Crimson offense came to life in the second half, scoring six goals in the third and five more in the fourth to pull away from the Lakers.

The game was a complete team effort for Harvard, as seven different players found the back of the cage and ten people registered at least one assist.

—Staff writer David Steinbach can be reached at dsteinbach@college.harvard.edu.