CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 14 Harvard field hockey (7-3, 3-0 Ivy) defeated No. 10 Syracuse in a thriller at Berylson Field on Sunday afternoon. The Crimson scored a season-high six goals including a four-goal second quarter to help lift Harvard to a massive victory. Bronte-May Brough scored the winner late in the fourth quarter as the sophomore registered her first multi-goal game of the season. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 
The Orange controlled much of the play within the first five minutes until Sage Piekarski forced a corner for the first chance for the Crimson. 
 
Just under a minute later Lucy Leel stole the ball from an Orange defender and found a streaking Avery Donahue who was moving down the far sideline. Donahue fired a shot that Sage Piekarski deflected into the top corner for an early 1-0 lead. The first-year now has goals in back-to-back games and gave the Crimson its quickest start in recent weeks. Piekarski now is tied for the league lead in goals. 
 
Tessa Shahbo came up with a diving stop in her first real test with just under three minutes to play in the first quarter. After the Crimson failed to clear their own end Shahbo had to make her second diving stop in less than two minutes. 

The Orange scored two goals in less than twenty seconds after a penalty corner and a quick transition to take the lead into the second quarter.
 
Beginning the second quarter, Avery Donahue set up yet another scoring opportunity for the Crimson offense after sending a seam pass through the slot that found Emily Guckian who fired a shot into the back of the net to tie the game at two. 
 
Syracuse responded three minutes late with a goal of their own to regain the lead. 
 
The Crimson then went on the offensive after scoring three goals in less than six minutes in the second quarter. Lara Beekhuis tied the game after making a great move to work her way towards the cage and fired a shot into the right corner to tie the game at three. 
 
Bronte May-Brough struck for the Crimson not even two minutes later after last season's goal leader converted on the corner for her second goal of the season and the first lead for Harvard since the opening minutes of the first quarter. 
 
With time expiring in the first half, Avery Donahue went end to end and scored her first of the season to give the Crimson a two-goal lead. Donahue finished the game with one goal and two assists – her first multi-point effort of the season. 
 
The Orange were able to even the score with 6:44 left in the fourth quarter after converting on a corner attempt and penalty shot. 
 
Bronte-May Brough was the hero not even two minutes later after converting on a corner attempt to regain the lead. Brough buried a between-the-legs feed from Emily Guckian to give the Crimson the lead in the final minutes. 
 
Harvard had to shut the door after the Orange were awarded three consecutive corners with no time left on the clock. Tessa Shahbo and the Harvard defense were able to stop all three attempts and deliver a massive victory for the Crimson. Shahbo's eight saves were a career-high. The last time Harvard beat a top ten opponent was in 2018 when they defeated No. 3 Princeton. 
 
NEXT UP 
The Crimson returns to Berylson Field to host Columbia at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6 before welcoming Saint Joseph's University on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 12:00 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.