Harvard was ranked in the top three in the Ivy League last season for goals per game and assists per game and was first in the conference in shots on goal per game. The Crimson also stood among the top 50 programs nationwide in points per game.

The majority of Harvard’s formidable front line will return this season, including junior midfielder Julia Glynn and senior attacker Marisa Romeo, who both finished last year among the top 100 players in the country for points per game and assists.

With few spots open, it’s not clear how many of the Crimson freshmen will see significant playing time up front.

Nonetheless, the rookies bring some significant talent to the table. Two of them also arrive with preexisting chemistry, having played for the same high school team. Kristin Burnetta and Hannah Keating both attended the Agnes Irwin School in Pennsylvania, where the duo led its team to a state championship in 2015.

Burnetta was a two-time Academic All-American and was named to the Under Armour Senior All-American team in 2016. She also holds the all-time assists record for Agnes Irwin.

Keating missed her final high school season due to injury but was still voted the fourth-best senior in the country. She was also a U.S. Lacrosse All-American, earned three Under Armour Underclass sections, and was voted the U.S. Lacrosse/Nike Lacrosse player of the year. She finished her scholastic career with 300 goals and 162 draw controls despite missing her senior campaign.

“[Keating] has shown a lot of enthusiasm, effort, selflessness, psychological toughness, persistence, and investment in the program,” Miller lauded.

The standout duo is joined on attack by one of two other freshman not originally from New York. Julia DiNovi hails from Wellesley, M.A., and played for the Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, M.A. In her senior year, she was the team’s leading scorer, as she led the school to its first-ever league title.

The rookie attacking unit is rounded out by Isabella Di Pietro, a two-time all-league honoree at the Trinity School in New York, N.Y. Di Pietro has a direct connection to the Crimson’s successful history, as she is the daughter of Kate Felsen Di Pietro `88, who, as a member of the team, won three Ivy League titles and enjoyed a trip to the Final Four her senior year.

With the Crimson’s offense already stacked with talent, some of the freshman attackers may have to adjust.

“They all will have the opportunity to make an impact right away,” Hennessey said. “A couple of them have slid into midfield positions, allowing us to run a few different middie lines, which has helped to give us more depth in this area of the field.”

However, there won’t be much more space in the midfield, with four rookies joining an already full core of upperclassman returners.

Two first-year midfielders, Bridget Flynn and Katie Muldoon, hail from New York, while the third, Sara Cami, comes to Harvard from San Francisco. Muldoon and Cami were both two-time Academic All-Americans in high school.

Muldoon attended Garden City High School, where she was voted all-county three times. She also guided her team to a New York State championship.

Cami brings an equally impressive list of accomplishments to the team. The midfielder from San Francisco University High School earned three consecutive all-league honors and was chosen as her conference’s player of the year in 2016.

Flynn, having collected three all-county honors for Victor High School, received the sportsmanship award at the 2016 state championships.

The rookie midfielders, along with the rest of the freshman class, will be hoping to convert their impressive list of high school accomplishments into success for their college team, as they seek to put Harvard back on the path to its former powerhouse status.

“Regardless of their position on the field, the freshman class as a whole brings energy and athleticism across the board,” Hennessey said. “I know they will do a great job embodying what it means to be a Harvard athlete, and I hope that they will continue to carry on the legacy that we leave for them.”

―Staff writer Sam O.M. Christenfeld can be reached at schristenfeld@college.harvard.edu