Caitlin Weigel paced the Crimson with two tries (Gil Talbot).

HANOVER, N.H. –The Harvard's women's rugby squad made a late comeback attempt, but it was unable to overcome a fast start by Brown in its opening game of the Ivy Conference tournament as it fell by a final score of 27-17.

Brown took an early 17-0 lead in the first half as Nikkolette Lee paced the Bears with two tries. Harvard got on the board with less than five minutes to go in the half as Caitlin Weigel broke through the Brown defense and pitched it to Haley Langan, who downed Harvard's first try of the game to make it a 17-5 contest at the half.

Weigel continued to prod through the Bears defense as she notched her second try of the game and a successful conversion by Susie Clements cut Brown's lead to 17-12 in the opening minutes of the second half. Brown's Oksana Goretaya answered with a try for Brown and a successful conversion put the Bears ahead, 22-12. The Crimson cut the lead once again as Claire Collins muscled past the end line for another Harvard try, making it a 22-17 game, but Brown downed the final try and sealed the 27-17 victory.

Harvard fell to 4-3 on the season and will return to action tomorrow in the third-place consolation game against No. 4 seed Princeton at noon.