{shortcode-7227dba15225ca87883e2236aa0752e31996c532}

Last weekend, a disallowed goal in the last minute of a close game handed the Harvard women’s lacrosse team a one-point loss against No. 10/11 Princeton. This Saturday, the Crimson (5-3, 1-1 Ivy League) looks to rebound as it faces Ivy League rival Dartmouth (5-3, 1-1) at Harvard Stadium.

“Princeton was a hard-fought game, and we were definitely disappointed with the outcome,” said co-captain and midfielder Audrey Todd. “That said, we have put the past in the past and re-directed our attention towards Dartmouth this week.”

Harvard and Dartmouth have a storied rivalry, with the Crimson barely holding the advantage of the all-time series record, 21-20-1. The two first played in 1976 and most recently met last April, with Harvard claiming a narrow 9-8 victory.

In last year’s contest, the Crimson dominated the first half of the game, but nearly blew a five-point lead in the second period, as Dartmouth outscored Harvard, 5-1, and won seven of eight draw controls after halftime.

“Dartmouth gives 110 percent for the full 60 minutes,” Todd said. “Last year, we had a comfortable lead midway through the second half, but Dartmouth kept fighting, and the game’s outcome was not decided until the final few seconds of the game.”

Harvard and Dartmouth have historically been evenly-matched—the teams’ last two games were each decided by one point—and this year is no exception.

In fact, the two squads enter this weekend’s matchup with identical records for the season. Both come into the weekend with one win and one loss in conference play.

The Crimson and the Big Green both picked up their lone losses of the Ivy League season against Princeton. Despite outshooting the Tigers, 28-16, leading in draw controls, 9-4, and coming close on a last-second shot by junior midfielder Megan Hennessey, Harvard lost to Princeton by one point with a final score of 6-5.

The Tigers topped Dartmouth, 11-5, after the Princeton defense successfully keyed in on the Big Green’s leading scorer, senior Jaclyn Leto, preventing her from scoring even once.

In Dartmouth’s most recent contest, a 10-9 victory over No. 16/17 University of Pennsylvania, Leto scored six times and caused a Quaker turnover in the final seconds, preventing Penn from tying up the score.

The Chatham, N.J., native is currently ranked second in the NCAA for goals per game. She has racked up 150 points on 130 goals so far in her career, with 32 scores already this season. Focusing a stifling defense on Leto will be crucial to Harvard’s success against the Big Green on Saturday.

Heading into the matchup, the Crimson defense looks to be up to the task. Harvard’s back line has been formidable this season, and the Crimson is currently ranked 27th in the nation for scoring defense and 24th for scoring margin.

Co-captain and goalie Kelly Weis has been instrumental in the success of the Harvard defense. The senior has registered 56 saves this year and boasts the 15th-best save percentage in the NCAA. She is currently tied for third in career saves for the Crimson with 289.

The Crimson has a strong offensive line-up as well, with junior attacker Marisa Romeo, junior attacker Maeve McMahon, sophomore midfielder Julia Glynn, and senior midfielder Alexis Nicolia all reaching double digits in scoring. Romeo has collected a team-high 17 goals and 23 points this season, and the fact that she has scored in the team’s last six games likely means that Harvard will look to her to spark its offense on Saturday.

The result of this weekend’s game will have a serious bearing on the Ivy League standings. The Crimson and Dartmouth are currently in a three-way tie with Penn for fourth place in the Ancient Eight.

“After a tough end to the Princeton game, we’re that much more fired up to take it to Dartmouth right from the first draw,” freshman midfielder Caroline Garrity said. “Our focus is on beating Dartmouth, that’s it.”

At the end of the regular season, only the top four teams in the conference will advance to the Ivy League Tournament, meaning that the outcome of the Saturday’s matchup could have a major impact on each team’s title hopes.

“We are very much looking forward to Saturday’s contest,” Todd said. “The game has huge implications within the Ivy League, and we are very eager to show Dartmouth and the NCAA what Harvard is made of.”