Pictured: Harvard set a program record for lacrosse attendance with 13,285 fans Friday evening.
Photo courtesy: Gil Talbot

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Before a record-setting crowd of 13,285 fans, the 14th-ranked Harvard men’s lacrosse team suffered a 14-5 non-conference loss to No. 7 Duke at Harvard Stadium Friday evening.  The attendance fell just short of the Massachusetts collegiate record for a regular-season lacrosse game, set by UMass in a game against Syracuse on April 25, 2009 (13,722). 

The crowd Friday evening was also the largest for a non-football Harvard home event on record.  With the loss, the Crimson drops to 5-3 overall, while the Blue Devils improve to 8-3.

After a slow start, the Crimson responded with three goals in the second quarter.  Peter Schwartz scored his first career goal at 12:16 of the second, while Dean Gibbons netted Harvard’s second goal less than three minutes later at 9:22.  With 3:22 remaining in the first half, Jeff Cohen teamed up with Travis Burr for a score, making it a 12-3 contest in favor of the Blue Devils heading into the break.

In the second half, Cohen and Gibbons each notched even-strength goals, as the Crimson closed the game with a 2-0 run.

Harvard goalkeeper Harry Krieger made a career-high 17 saves, while the foursome of Kevin Vaughan, Andrew Parchman, Cohen and Jeff Molinari grabbed three ground balls each.  Parchman won four faceoffs, while Alex White claimed three faceoff victories.

The Crimson will travel to No. 6 Cornell in a key Ivy League contest Saturday, April 10.  The opening faceoff is slated for 3 p.m.