With 1:48 left to play, a ball from Marinelli sailed past the Marist goalie to give the Crimson the victory. The go-ahead goal marked the fourth of the night for the California native, who led the Harvard offense to seal the 10-9 win.
“The keys to our game are defense and staying mentally tough,” Nagaraj said.
NO. 16 UC SAN DIEGO 12, NO. 19 HARVARD 6
The Crimson dropped a dispiriting defeat on Saturday afternoon to UC San Diego (7-9), 12-6. Despite taking an early 1-0 lead with a goal by Freshman Mathilde Ribordy, Harvard could not hold off a fierce Triton offense.
With an additional three goals from each team, the first quarter ended with a tight score of 4-3 in favor of the Crimson. Harvard added to that lead, with both Hong and freshman Julie Harrison finding the net. Coupled with a strong defensive effort, the Crimson was able to maintain a 6-3 through the halfway point.
“The key is always an unbeatable defense,” Osborne said. “That will feed our entire game.”
Yet the tough Harvard defense that kept the Tritons scoreless in the second quarter faded as the game progressed. Outscoring Harvard by nine in the second half, UC San Diego surged past the Crimson, 12-6.
NO. 11 PRINCETON 7, NO. 19 HARVARD 4
An early deficit proved too much for Harvard to overcome in Friday night’s opener against Princeton (8-0, 1-0 CWPA). The Tigers pulled ahead by three in the opening minutes, and the Crimson never quite recovered.
Despite efforts made by the Crimson to close the lead, Harvard could not score a goal without Princeton offering an answer in return. Two goals for the Crimson by Hong and sophomore Haley Bowe narrowed the score to 3-2. Yet the Tigers quickly bounced back with two goals of their own.
Princeton maintained the advantage throughout, as the team went on to secure a 7-4 victory over Harvard.
“We just need to put our shots away,” Osborne said. “We have all these great opportunities, and finishing them is going to give us a lot of success.”
Senior Sami Strutner led the Crimson with three assists. On the defensive side, Osborne had three steals, and junior Cleo Harrington recorded six saves at the goalie position.
“It’s been a tough weekend but a great experience all around,” Nagaraj said. “We are excited to take what we have learned this weekend and make improvements going into our upcoming games.”