CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard men's lacrosse team will take a brief pause from Ivy League play and make the short trip across the Charles River tomorrow night to take on the No. 18/18 Boston University Terriers. The Crimson (3-2, 1-0 Ivy) will battle the Terriers (5-1, 3-0 Patriot) at 7 PM tomorrow night on Nickerson Field and on ESPN+.
 
The Crimson will look to pick up its fourth consecutive win over the regional rival when the team's meet on Tuesday night in Boston.
 

Quick Hits

- The Crimson came out victorious in its last contest at Brown on Saturday, defeating the Bears in overtime, 16-15. The overtime victory was Harvard's first since 2019 and the first win for the team at Brown since 2011.
- Harvard assisted on 13 of its 16 goals against the Bears for an 81-percent assist percentage. That was the highest percentage since the 2018 season (8-for-9 vs. Holy Cross) and the highest in an Ivy League contest since the 2016 season (7-for-8 against Brown).
- Gerry Byrne's group leads the Ivy League in assists per game, dishing out 8.5 per game in 2023.
- The Crimson also leads the Ivies in caused turnovers per game (10.5), man-down defense (.733 stop rate), man-up offense (.667), and points per game (23.25).
- The offense is led by sophomore attack, Sam King, who has posted 25 points with 15 goals and 10 assists in just five games this season. His five points per game is tied for the 12^th best in the nation and is 3^rd most in the Ivy League.
- The Crimson displays a balanced offensive attack, averaging 7.6 goal scorers per game. Seven players on the roster have posted nine or more points in 2023, which is tied for the most in the Ivy League.
- Harvard's offense is also one of the most efficient in the nation. Scoring goals on 31.9 percent of its possessions gives the Crimson the seventh highest total in the nation according to Lacrosse Reference.
 

The Matchup 

Renewing the Charles River Rivalry

The Harvard and BU rivalry began in the 1930's with three matchups that all ended in Crimson victories. Since 2014, the teams have faced off seven times, with Harvard holding a 5-2 advantage in those contests. The Crimson have won each of the past three meetings including two overtime wins in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The two teams have had a number of close battles over the past ten years, with four games begin decided by just one goal. Last season, Harvard upended the No. 13 Terriers at Jordan Field in a defensive showcase that included 43 turnovers and just 23 goals. Sam King (4G), Hayden Cheek (2G) and Nick Loring (2G, 2A) are the Crimson's leading scorers in the matchup.
 

Scouting BU

The Boston University Terriers (5-1, 3-0 Patriot) come into the contest as one of the hottest teams in the nation, riding an active five-game winning streak, the third-longest active run in the nation. The Terriers are coming off a 23-9 blowout of Holy Crosse on Saturday, setting a new program record for goals in a game. Vince D'Alto is the main offensive weapon for the Terriers as he leads the team with 37 points, a total that is fifth-best in the nation.
 
The No. 18/18 Terriers are No. 16 in terms of overall strength according to Lacrosse Reference, sitting at No. 16 in defense efficiency (24.4 percent) and No. 17 in offensive efficiency (30.6 percent). BU has had no problem slowing down its opponents in 2023, posting the fifth-best opponent clearing percentage (.771) , the sixth-most caused turnovers per game (11.20) while allowing just 11 goals per game. It's man-down defense is its biggest hole, with the unit allowing opponents to score on 62-percent of its chances, a mark that is No. 40 in the country.
 
The Terriers primary weakness comes in its transition execution. The team's clearing percentage (.810) is no. 61 in the nation while also averaging 16 turnovers per game.
 

Notes and Storylines 

The King of Clutch

Harvard saw its first overtime action this past weekend against Brown, coming out victorious after a goal by Sam King put Harvard over the edge to give the team a 16-15 victory, the first OT win for the Crimson since 2019. Teddy Malone also registered a game-tying goal with just 13 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime.
 

First-Year Phenoms

Five first-year players have heavily factored into the mix for the Crimson in 2023, playing big roles on both offense and defense. Newcomers Owen Guest and Charlie Muller have been great addition to the starting defense, posting three caused turnovers and 14 ground balls, respectively, to rank in the top three on the team in each category. On the offensive end, Teddy Malone (10 points), Logan Ip (5 points) and John Aurandt IV (4 points) have all boosted the Crimson on the offensive end.  
 

Super-Man-Up

The Crimson's man-up offense has been lethal in 2023, posting the second-best man-up percentage in the nation (.667) through its first five games. Harvard's man-up offense has already surpassed the 2022 total of 12, now totaling 14 after a 2-for-3 mark against Brown. Hayden Cheek and Owen Gaffney are tied for the team and Ivy League lead with three man-up goals this year, which was the season total for team leaders, Miles Botkiss, Andrew Perry and Cheek last season.
 

Crimson Causing Chaos

Harvard's ability to cause turnovers has plagued its opponents in 2023. After finishing fourth in the nation a year ago in caused turnovers per game, Harvard is back in the top ten early in the 2023 season, causing 10.5 turnovers per game to rank No. 7 in the nation. Chase Yager leads the team with six CTs in 2023, while 22 different players have registered a CT this year.
 

Sharing is Caring

The Crimson's 10th-ranked scoring offense is powered by an assist per game total that ranks third in the nation. Throwing 9.4 assists per game puts Harvard first in the Ivy League as well. The offensive unit recorded 13 assists on its 16 goals (.813) against Brown which was the highest assist rate since the 2018 season and the highest assist rate in an Ivy League contest for Harvard since the 2016 season.
 

Sam King Continues His Streak

Sophomore, Sam King has recorded at least one point in all 19 games he has played in with the Crimson and is coming off a seven-point effort against Brown (4G, 3A). The sophomore has amassed 71 points in his collegiate career, averaging 3.7 points per game, the highest total on the team.
 

Getting on the Ground

Harvard players have shown no hesitation getting in the mix on the ground, recording over 36 groundballs per game, a total that is tenth best in the nation. Andrew DeGennaro leads the team with 18 groundballs, while seven other players have recorded ten or more this season.
 

Up Next

Harvard will have another quick trip up North to continue Ivy League play this weekend when it meets the Dartmouth Big Green in Hanover, N.H. on Saturday. The Ivy League battle will begin at 4 PM and will be streamed live on ESPN+.