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Harvard Field Hockey NCAA Semifinals
1
Harvard HARV (17-2)
2
Winner Northwestern NU (17-5)
Harvard HARV
(17-2)
1
Final
2
Northwestern NU
(17-5)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 OT F
Harvard HARV 1 0 0 0 0 1
Northwestern NU 1 0 0 0 1 2

Game Recap: Field Hockey |

Fantastic Run For No. 12 Field Hockey Comes to End in 2-1 OT NCAA Semifinal Loss to No. 7 Northwestern

ANN ARBOR, Mich.  – A fantastic season for No. 12 Harvard field hockey (17-2, 7-0 Ivy League), came to an end, as the Crimson fell 2-1 in overtime to No. 7 Northwestern (17-5, 5-3 Big Ten) in the NCAA Semifinals at Phyllis Ocker Field in Ann Arbor, Mich.
 
Bente Baekers won it for the Wildcats on a penalty corner 2:02 into the extra period.
 
Harvard tied the school record for wins (17), had its most successful season to date, and had the top-ranked defense in the nation in a year to remember.
 
Junior goalkeeper Ellie Shahbo made six saves, and senior captain Hannah Pearce scored Harvard's lone goal, her team-leading 14th goal of the year.

In an entertaining first quarter, both teams traded penalty corner goals on their first chances of the game. Northwestern's Maren Seidel scored with a low shot into the left corner at 9:33. But Pearce answered with another huge goal for the Crimson as her penalty corner shot deflected off a Northwestern defender and into the net at 10:25 to tie the game.
 
In the second quarter, it was Shahbo's time to shine, as she made the biggest save of her career to date on Northwestern's penalty stroke chance at 25:48 by Bente Baekers, making a blocker stop to keep the game tied.
 
Late in the third quarter, Harvard had another good opportunity when Northwestern's Liese Wareham was called for a yellow card at 39:36.
 
Harvard earned a penalty corner minutes later, but Pearce's shot was blocked away at 43:21.
 
Shahbo made three saves in the fourth quarter to keep the game tied heading into overtime, but Northwestern capitalized on its first penalty corner chance of overtime, 2:02 into the extra period, to end the game.
 
Harvard Highlights
  • Harvard advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the first time in program history, beating the No. 6 (Louisville) and No. 2 (Michigan) teams in the nation before falling to the Wildcats.
  • Harvard's senior class (those that started their careers in 2017-18) finishes its career with a combined record of 60-12.
Game Notes
  • Harvard and Northwestern are now 1-1 all time against each other.
  • Harvard's win over No. 2 Michigan marked the highest ranked opponent that Harvard has beaten in program history.
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