Tassopoulos made several tough stops to help hold UMass without a field goal (photo courtesy David Silverman).

CAMBRIDGE,  Mass.-Freshman Cynthia Tassopoulos made 12 saves and the Harvard field hockey team held No. 10 Massachusetts without a goal from the field, but Makaela Potts' penalty stroke lifted the Minutewomen to a 1-0 win Tuesday evening at Jordan Field.

The Minutewomen (9-3) got some early chances but could not convert as Tassopoulos made four first-half saves. They got on the board with 6:36 remaining in the half. Harvard's Pilar Mayora knocked down a Katie Kelly shot in front of an otherwise open goal. The ball was ruled to have hit a Crimson body, however, and Potts put her stroke into the right side of the goal. Harvard battled back with some late pressure, but Alesha Widdall stopped sophomore Georgia McGillivray's penalty-corner shot and the rebound attempt by freshman Nina Kucharczyk.

Neither team could break through in the second half. Harvard (4-5) got a good chance early, when sophomore Allie Kimmel ripped a shot from the right side, but Alesha Widdall was there for one of her four saves. On the other end, Tassopoulos came up big with eight stops in the second half.

The Crimson fought hard for the would-be equalizer in the final minutes. With just seconds to play, sophomore Carly Dickson carried the ball into the circle on the right side and got the ball to senior Kristin Bannon, but Widdall was again there for a save to preserve the UMass win.