ITHACA, NY – Senior captain Hannah Pearce scored twice to lead No. 11 Harvard field hockey (14-1, 6-0 Ivy) to a 3-1 win at Cornell, helping the Crimson clinch a berth to the 2021 NCAA Tournament and at least a share of the 2021 Ivy League title.
 
Harvard, which trailed in the early stages of the game, rallied as Pearce tied the game late in the first half, and the Crimson scored twice late in the fourth quarter to earn the win.
 
Down 1-0 with just over three minutes to play in the first half, Pearce converted a penalty corner for the Crimson, as her low shot eluded Cornell's Aerin Park, tying the game at 26:47.
 
Midway through the fourth quarter it was Pearce again with a big goal, as her hard shot off a pass from Olivia Hoover beat Park at 53:48 to give Harvard its first lead of the game.
 
Hoover's redirection of a long shot by Siofra Murdoch sealed the win at 55:53.
 
 
Harvard Highlights

• Olivia Hoover recorded a goal and an assist, matching her career high for points in a game.
• Senior captain Hannah Pearce (two goals) has points in seven straight games. She leads the team with 26 points (12 goals, two assists) on the year.
• Ellie Shahbo improved her record to 12-1 with a 0.44 GAA and .846 Save%

Game Notes

• Harvard returns to the NCAA Tournament after appearing in 2016 and 2018. Harvard had its best NCAA Tournament run in 2018, reaching the quarterfinal round.
• Harvard is keeping pace with the 2018 team matching its best 14-game start in school history. The Crimson has won nine games in a row.