In the victory, Harvard fired 22 shots at the Hawks, twelve of which were on target. Consequently, the Crimson put four balls into the back of the net for the first time since 2009.

Harvard played with a lead for nearly the game’s entirety after opening the scoring in the eighth minute. After freshman forward Tyler Savitsky sent a cross deep into Hartford territory, Kobayashi headed home a ball from Wheeler-Omiunu for his first connection of the season.

In addition to Kobayashi, the other three goal-scorers also all earned their first tallies of the year. And for one important member of the Crimson, the goal was the first of his career.

Shortly after Hartford cut the lead to 2-1 early in the second half on a goal from senior defenseman Connor Yeaney, Ashby earned his chance—one that he considered “a long time coming.”

Running up the left sideline, freshman midfielder Christian Sady curled a ball into the box, finding junior midfielder Tim Schmoll. Schmoll redirected the ball towards the captain, who capitalized on a diving header, effectively putting the game away for good.

Also getting on the scoreboard for the Crimson were junior attacker Oliver White and senior midfielder David Barna. Both goals were assisted by Savitsky, with White scoring on a breakaway late in the first half and Barna finding an opening in the box in the 73rd minute.

—Staff writer Jake Meagher can be reached at jmeagher@college.harvard.edu.