Freshman Peyton Johnson netted Harvard's second goal Sunday (photo courtesy of Gil Talbot).

AMHERST, Mass. – Melanie Baskind, Peyton Johnson and Katherine Sheeleigh each scored goals, while goalkeeper Jessica Wright made a career-high eight saves to guide the Harvard women's soccer team to a 3-2 victory at Massachusetts Sunday afternoon.  With the victory, Harvard improves to 3-4-1 on the season, while the Minutewomen fall to 3-6-0.

The Crimson tallied the first two goals of the game to take a 2-0 lead by the 10:10 mark.  In the ninth minute, Sheeleigh scored her second goal of the weekend, placing a shot just under the left portion of the cross bar.  Baskind earned the assist on the play as Harvard went ahead, 1-0, at 9:00.  Only 70 seconds later, Johnson sent a shot from 15 yards out that beat UMass goalkeeper Emily Cota and hit the left side of the back of the net.

UMass rallied to make it a 2-1 game at 18:00, as Therese Smith bent a shot from 20 yards out that sailed past Wright and into the cage.  The Minutewomen tied the game less than four minutes later when Kayla Austin fired a bouncing shot that went over Wright for UMass's second goal at 21:56.  Harvard regained composure on offense and reclaimed the lead, 3-2, at 31:10.  Elizabeth Weisman crossed the ball from the left side, and Baskind redirected it into the net for her third goal in the last two games.

In the second half, Wright recorded four saves, including consecutive stops in the 69th minute, without allowing a goal, helping the Crimson hold on for its second victory in the last three contests.  Harvard outshot UMass, 16-15, and had twice as many corners, 8-4. 

The Crimson has six days off before hosting archrival Yale at Ohiri Field Saturday, Oct. 2 at 11 a.m.