The new freshmen, though, have jumped right into action and, with the help of the captains, have fit into their new team.

“The freshmen have come in and are so talented and eager to do well,” Alemany says. “They’ve all been tough about injuries, and everyone has the same goal. It’s easy when everyone is on the same page.”

In spite of the team’s success last year and its current preseason second-place Ivy League ranking, Matera and Alemany want to do better and leave a winning legacy, especially after having shared the Ivy title with Dartmouth and Cornell during their rookie year.

“The seniors haven’t had the chance to go to the NCAA tournament,” Matera says. “We’re looking to win the Ivy League outright and go to the tournament this season. It’s the one thing we’re really focused on and definitely within our grasp.”

“When we came in as freshmen, we had the idea that we would go to the NCAA tournament and get Ivy rings,” Alemany adds. “We haven’t yet, and this is our last chance, so we really want to capitalize on our potential and talent. We want to finish strong.”

With the return of last year’s core, the introduction of new talent, and the leadership of the captains to bring the team together, this may finally be the season where Matera and Alemany win their long-awaited trip to The Dance.

—Staff writer B. Marjorie Gullick can be reached at gullick@college.harvard.edu.