“When it was 8-3 in the third, [coach Minnis] told us to just keep chipping away,” Hendrix said. “We got ourselves in the mindset that we needed to play solid offense and solid defense, and we went from there.”

HARVARD 13, FRESNO PACIFIC 5

For the second game in a row, Balding led the scoring charge for Harvard, and for the second game in a row, the sophomore notched four goals, including three in the first half. While the Sunbirds fought back, the Crimson proved too offensively efficient, and the offense erupted again for 13 goals in the game.

In the second period, Harvard outscored its opponent 4-1, stretching the lead to five by halftime. Hendrix and Andersen each tallied two goals in the second period.

Junior attacker Rachel Lobato added two goals for the Crimson, as the team carried its halftime momentum through the remainder of the game. Two more goals from Harvard put the game out of reach for Fresno Pacific, as the Crimson extended its west coast win streak to two.

HARVARD 14, SONOMA ST. 4

California native Melissa Balding made an immediate impact for the Crimson during her homecoming, tallying four goals on the day including three in the first half.

The Seawolves chalked up three goals in the second period, but the Crimson offense proved overwhelming as it carried an 8-3 lead into halftime. Frager added two goals, and Hendrix picked up two of her own to push the Harvard lead to 10 by the start of the fourth period.

The final period provided a defensive struggle from both teams, as Harvard freshman attacker Sami Strutner scored the frame’s lone goal.

“This team is very hungry,” Minnis said. “They want to give themselves the best opportunity to make it to the NCAA Championship. These are games that help us learn to play at a high level.”

Harvard continues its California road trip this Saturday at No. 2 and defending national champion, Stanford.