The Crimson wouldn’t tie up the game for another five minutes, but once it did, the Harvard offense took over.
It was MacAfee who leveled the score at 2-2, slamming a shot into the roof of the Dartmouth net from close range.
The sophomore’s game-tying score marked the beginning of a 9-0 run for the Crimson. Just 20 seconds after MacAfee’s goal, Garrity cut through the entire Big Green defense with a weaving run before finding the back of the net to hand the Crimson a lead that it would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.
Romeo would go on to pick up three scores of her own and set up another, claiming an assist on MacAfee’s second goal of the day. Meanwhile, Hennessey netted two goals.
Behind the team’s attacking power, Harvard had built up a commanding seven-goal lead by halftime.
The Crimson didn’t let up in the first 15 minutes of the second half.
It took McMahon less than 30 seconds to reopen the scoring after the break, netting an unassisted strike at 29:37 in the second period.
Dartmouth would get two goals back before embarking on its comeback attempt, but each Big Green score was followed by two from Harvard.
First, Bourque rounded out her hat trick with 25:25 left to play. Sophomore attacker Nicole Baiocco canceled out the Dartmouth goal, though. The New Vernon, N.J native found the top corner of the Big Green net and then picked out McMahon in front of goal with a lobbed pass.
McMahon finished the move with the goal of the game, scoring between her legs with her back to the net to complete her hat trick.
Giroux took a point back for Dartmouth, but Romeo returned the margin to 11 with a goal just 30 seconds later. Hennessey would also chip in her third goal of the game halfway through the stanza before the Big Green kicked off its 8-3 run.
The Crimson will take confidence from the fact that it was able to hold onto its lead as the team continues Ivy League play.
“I think this game will give us a lot of momentum,” Romeo said. “Lots of people stepped up today, and I think that will help us going forward.”
—Staff writer Sam O.M. Christenfeld can be reached at sam.christendfeld@thecrimson.com