In its second weekend of competition, the Harvard women’s water polo team (4-1) headed south to take on a trio of opponents at this year’s Princeton Invite. The Crimson came out strong with back-to-back wins to open the weekend before suffering the first loss of its season in the final game of the tournament.

WAGNER 11, HARVARD 8

Facing the Seahawks, the Crimson battled in a physical game that saw defense as the focus at both ends of the pool. The match was a back-and-forth contest in the opening half, with Wagner taking a slight 7-6 advantage at the end of the second period.

The third stanza of competition was Harvard’s downfall. Wagner netted three goals in the period, while the Crimson answered with just one goal, leaving the team down by three with eight minutes left in the game.

“Wagner is a very good team,” Harvard coach Ted Minnis said. “They have very good two-meter play, and they are a very fast and strong team. I think it caused us a few issues offensively that we hadn’t seen yet…. We missed some shots down the stretch, and they converted their shots.”

The Crimson was able to tally a goal in the fourth period of play, but the Seahawks struck with a net of its own and went on to hold the Crimson for the rest of the match.

Senior Jelena Cyr led Harvard with three goals on the night, with sophomore Rachel Lobato and senior Shayna Price each contributing two goals. Sophomore Yoshi Andersen and junior Victoria Frager tallied four steals each, while junior goalie Ariel Dukes made eight saves.

“We were able to see things that we needed to work on with our game against Wagner because I think it was the first time we teamed up against a team that was that physical,” Andersen said. “We had to really dig down deep. Although we didn’t win, I think we learned a lot.”

HARVARD 13, IONA 12

In their second meeting in as many weeks, the Crimson and the Gaels took the competition into extra minutes. Going back-and-forth throughout the game, the two teams tied at the end of regulation, sending the contest into overtime.

In the first overtime, Harvard netted two goals that proved to be the determining factor in sealing its victory. Iona was able to close in on the Crimson’s lead with a goal late in the second overtime, but it was too late. Harvard’s defense came through on the final play of the game when freshman Zoe Osbourne came up with a shot block, sealing the Crimson’s victory.

“Iona is a very good opponent, and it’s been a rivalry team before I even got to Harvard,” Andersen said. “I think we both really go for it, and I think one of the ways we were able to come out on top is that we were really able to settle down…. Once we tied it up we knew we needed to relax and play Harvard water polo.”

Harvard found itself in a 4-3 hole against the Gaels after the opening period. The Crimson surged back in the second quarter to go up by three goals at the half, taking an 8-5 advantage into the second half of play.

Cyr led Harvard with four goals, followed by Andersen, who contributed three. Dukes made six saves in the win.

“This team has shown a lot of heart,” Minnis said. “We may get down, but if they believe that they have an opportunity, they keep on fighting and playing like it’s a close game.”

HARVARD 16, VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE 6

In its first game of the weekend, the Crimson took a lead in the opening half of the game and never looked back in its commanding 10-goal win against the Keydets.

With a comfortable 10-3 lead after halftime, Harvard stayed on top of Virginia Military Institute for the entirety of the game.

Three Crimson players scored more than one goal in the win. Andersen led the team with five, freshman Melissa Balding tallied four, and classmate Melissa Martinelli added two scores in the victory.

“We are going to continue to do the things we’ve been doing in practice and focusing on all phases of the game, both offensively and defensively,” Minnis said. “I think for us it’s all about seeing the whole pool and getting up on our lane and making good passes and good pressure passes as well.”

—Staff writer Ariel Smolik-Valles can be reached at asmolikvalles@college.harvard.edu.