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The Harvard women’s lacrosse team charged into the 2024 season with an emphatic 21-6 victory over the Colgate Raiders. The win on Jordan field was quarterbacked by last season’s leading scorer, senior attacker Callie Hem. The attacker posted an astounding seven goal, career high, game.

Offensive dominance was a consistent theme for the Crimson, and Hem was supported by the prowess of junior attacker Caroline Mullahy, whose vision on the field saw her notch five assists on the day. Senior midfielder Maddie Barkate also came back strong, tallying four goals for the Harvard squad. The Crimson’s attack fired on all cylinders, boasting the most goals in a single performance since 2018.

Senior captain and attacker Riley Campbell highlighted that it was not just the attack, but both sides of the field, that contributed to the big win on Saturday.

“I thought our performance yesterday really showcased all of the areas we have been working so hard on,” Campbell said. “Our defense was solid and allowed very few opportunities for Colgate to get inside. As well as the speed through the midfield, which allowed for so many seamless transitions into our offense.”.

The Crimson’s success is a testament to Head Coach Devon Wills and her preparation leading into this monumental first game. Hem provided insight into how the squad scouted the Raiders.

“Our scout plays a huge part in preparing us for our opponents and our scout team worked really hard this whole week to prepare us for the game.” Hem said. “We did a lot of film as well and I think our whole team felt confident and excited going into the game.”

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With a roster full of returning veterans, four standout freshmen broke into the lineup and marked their first goals and minutes of their collegiate careers. Freshman midfielders Natasha Tribolet, Grace Mullahy, Stella Shea, and attacker Callie Batchelder will continue to be threats on the offensive line for the Crimson as they grow into their roles on the team. Campbell echoed co-captain Ilana Kofman in her preseason sentiments that the Crimson’s versatile offense will be the key to its success.

“We have been working towards having an extremely threatening offense and I think yesterday was a testament to how many scoring options we have in so many different people,” she added.

Hem and Campbell nevertheless are looking for areas of the game to improve upon going into their matchup against Georgetown this coming weekend.

Hem emphasized, “I think we had a few stretches where we could have played with more intensity, so moving forward it’s important for us to carry that intensity with us the entire game and not let up.”

Campbell echoed this sentiment stating, “At times we need faster ball movement and high percentage shooting which will only make us more threatening for the coming games.”

The Crimson were most lethal on the attack in the second quarter, boasting an impressive 11 goals on 14 shots. In that period, senior goalie Chloe Provenzano posted two saves while limiting the Raiders to only four shots on goal. The Crimson will look to build upon this momentum when it travels down to Washington D.C. to play Georgetown this upcoming Saturday at 4:00pm EST. Tune into ESPN+ to catch the action.

—Staff writer Hannah Bebar can be reached at hannah.bebar@thecrimson.com

—Staff writer Laura Connor can be reached at laura.connor@thecrimson.com