CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 20 Harvard women's water polo dropped its first two contests of the Harvard Invitational, falling 12-9 in overtime against No. 14 Indiana (8-9, 0-1 MPSF) before a narrow 7-6 defeat to No. 23 Brown (13-6, 4-1 CWPA). The Crimson moves to (12-3, 3-1 CWPA) on the season after seeing its 10-game winning streak snapped by the Hoosiers.
Game 1: Indiana 12, Harvard 9 (OT)
With the last three meetings between Indiana and Harvard resulting in one-goal contests, we were primed for another nail biter between the two nationally ranked programs. Indiana was able to take the first two leads of the game, only for
Erin Kim and
Jaiden Miller to answer both Hoosier goals, resulting in a 2-2 score through one period.
Brooke Hourigan got on the board with a five-meter shot, followed by back-to-back goals from
Dany Zapata, giving Harvard a 5-2 with 4:12 left in the first half. Indiana would fight back, making it a 6-4 game at the half following a late tally from
Inde Halligan.
Indiana stuck in defensively to begin the second half and was able to nod the score at 6-6 with a five-meter conversion with 3:53 left in the third. The Crimson would find its offense again, with Halligan and Hourigan once again finding the back of the net, on the way to an 8-7 Harvard advantage after three periods. With the game tied at eight, both teams traded stops down the stretch until Halligan netted her third goal of the contest with 1:46 remaining to give the Crimson a late lead.
The Hoosiers seemingly had one final possession to tie the score and were able to do so, following a five-meter shot conversion with 16 seconds remaining, ultimately forcing Harvard into its second consecutive overtime contest. Indiana ever-importantly struck first in the extra frame, before quickly adding another as the Hoosiers were able to take control of the overtime and see out the victory.
Harvard Highlights Game 1
Game 2: Brown 7, Harvard 6
It was the first meeting of the season between the two Ivy League and CWPA rivals, as Brown won its first game of the day over Mt. Saint Mary's, 15-4. Both teams were unable to get on the scoreboard through the first five minutes, as it was clear that a defensive battle was unfolding at Blodgett Pool. The Crimson broke through first, with a quick succession of goals from
Dany Zapata and
Inde Halligan to go ahead 2-0. Brown was able to answer in the first period, before
Erin Kim netted another with just five seconds on the clock, making it a 3-1 game after one.
Jaiden Miller continued her good form with a goal to make it 4-2, before the Bears found a pair of goals before the break to tie the score at four headed into the half.
The game truly evolved into a defensive battle in the second half, with Miller netting the lone goal in the period for the Crimson with a long-range strike after Brown had taken its first lead. The Bears would take a 6-5 lead into the final frame, a lead that they held until
Erin Kim tied the score with 4:48 remaining. As the minutes ticked down, both teams sought after the game-winning goal, with Harvard goalie
Zoe Banks making an outrageous save from close-range with just over a minute remaining to keep Harvard alive. The Bears would go on to net a goal with under a minute remaining, as Harvard was unable to score on its last possession and force a third straight overtime contest.
Harvard Highlights Game 2
- Junior Jaiden Miller netted a pair of goals while adding a steal and block.
- Junior goalie Zoe Banks made 11 saves in net while allowing seven goals.
- First-year Erin Kim tabbed two goals while recording a block and DKO.
- Junior Borden Wahl picked up an assist and two steals while senior Quinne Pursell added two assists.
Game Notes
- Harvard suffers consecutive losses for the first time since the 2019 CWPA tournament, having dropped games to Michigan and Bucknell.
- The Crimson moves to 1-1 this season in overtime contests and 2-1 in games decided by one goal.
- Harvard and Indiana previously played an overtime game on Feb. 7, 2016, with the Crimson tabbing its first-ever win over the Hoosiers, 12-11 in Providence, R.I.
What's Next?
Harvard will return tomorrow, Mar. 6, take on Mount St. Mary's at 10:30 a.m. and RV Cal State East Bay at 2:15 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.
