“[Feeding the ball to her teammates] was something [Hennessey] really wanted to work on this season,” Waldstein said. “We rely a lot on her to get those feeds to the middle, and I think she’ll only keep improving as the season goes on.”

Eight of Hennessey’s 10 assists have come in Harvard’s four games against ranked opponents, including three against conference opponent No. 13 Princeton, the most for any Crimson player in any game this season.

Playing alongside Hennessey in the midfield, classmate Maeve McMahon has provided steady production for the Harvard squad after her freshman campaign was abruptly ended by a season-ending injury just four games into the season.

“She fills up every stats column, every game,” Todd said. “She’s extremely scrappy in the draw circle, and she helps us come up with 50/50 balls when we need them most. She also just has a knack for getting open in the settled attack, and when people see her and feed her the ball, she finishes her shots.”

Starting in all eight of the Crimson’s games this season, McMahon has made her presence felt on the field, leading the team with 18 draw controls and netting 12 goals already this season, including a hat trick against No. 5 Syracuse and two goals and two assists versus No. 9 Stanford.

Representing this star-studded second-year group on the defensive end are standout defenders Emma Ford, Michelle Nesselbush, and Marina Burke.

Ford, a full-time starter last year, brings great experience to the back line, even only in her second year, and is again in the starting lineup for Harvard.

The Skaneateles, N.Y., native has provided a spark for the Crimson in the form of a team-high eight caused turnovers, three more than she tallied all of last year.

Additionally, Ford has led the Crimson in ground balls in four of the team’s seven games this year and sits at first in the Ivy League for ground balls per game, with 2.5 per contest.

Starting next to Ford on the defensive end is Nesselbush, who, despite coming onto the team with less lacrosse experience than her classmates, has stepped up her play in her second season.

Last season, Nesselbush started two of the eight total games in which she saw action but has been a mainstay for the Crimson defensive line this year, starting all eight contests for Harvard.

Waldstein, who plays alongside the sophomore on defense, noted Nesselbush’s increased contributions this season.

“[Nesselbush] has done a great job this year of taking on a big role in the defense, and she’s been called upon to mark up on some very good players,” Waldstein said. “She’s done a great job of being reliable, especially from last year to this year, and she’s stepped up to become a big part of the field.”

The sophomore, whose two sisters are defenders for the No. 6 Northwestern lacrosse team, has clearly solidified her position as a defensive stalwart for the Crimson squad.

Rounding out the youthful Crimson defense is Burke, who has made a smooth transition to the defensive side of the ball after spending her freshman season playing in the midfield.