Harvard field hockey played a double-overtime thriller at No. 13 Stanford, falling to the Cardinal 2-1 (3-2 SO win). (Mark Manela)

STANFORD, Calif. – In a thrilling game between two nationally-ranked teams, No. 20 Harvard field hockey forced overtime with under a minute left in regulation at No. 13 Stanford before falling 2-1 by way of a 3-2 shootout win for the Cardinal at Varsity Turf.

Harvard earned a penalty corner with just under a minute to play, and sophomore Bente van Vlijmen took the initial shot. Senior Hannah Wellington tipped the ball just inside the net on the near side with :34 to play, tying the game at 1-1.

The Crimson had several great chances to score in the first overtime period, but Stanford goalkeeper Kelsey Bing made several stops, including a sprawling stick save on a van Vlijmen shot off a penalty corner in the opening minutes of the extra frame.

Neither team registered a shot in the second overtime frame, sending the game to the shootout.

Stanford's Sarah Helgeson scored at the 46:00 mark of the second half on a tip in off a cross by Corinne Zanolli, the only blemish for Harvard goalkeeper Libby Manela (four saves), who had a stellar season debut for the Crimson.

Harvard Highlights:

• Harvard had 10 shots on net for the game to Stanford's five, and had a 9-5 advantage on penalty corners.
• Bente van Vlijmen and Ellie Cookson added assists on Wellington's goal. Van Vlijmen has points in all three games for Harvard this season.

Game Notes:

• Harvard completed its season opening California trip with a 2-1 record. This marked Harvard's first trip to the state of California since 2010.
• Harvard is now 1-3 in the all-time series against Stanford, with the last meeting between the two teams coming on Oct. 8, 2011.

What's Next:
Harvard returns home this upcoming weekend to play No. 4 Connecticut at Berylson Field on Sunday (Sept. 10) at 1 p.m. The game can be seen on Facebook Live and the Ivy League Network.