BURLINGTON, Vt. – A wire-to-wire, well rounded performance propelled No. 8 Harvard field hockey to a 4-1 victory against America East foe Vermont on the road. Four different Crimson netted goals in the contest against the Catamounts.
The Crimson registered 26 shots on Sunday afternoon, tying the season-high set in the 6-0 victory against William & Mary, as 15 of Harvard's shot were on target.
After a scoreless first quarter, junior forward
Kate Oliver opened the scoring in the second, as junior midfielder
Fiene Oerlemans, senior midfielder and team captain
Emily Guckian, and sophomore midfielder
Lara Beekhuis all added goals in the fourth period.
The Crimson defense shined throughout the match against Vermont, limiting the hosts to just six shots. Senior goalkeeper
Sofia Castore made her first start of the season against the Catamounts, recording three saves in the process.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Both sides displayed excellent defensive play in the first period, as Harvard (5-1, 1-0 Ivy League) controlled possession in the attacking half for the majority of the first 15 minutes. Harvard almost grabbed the lead in the latter portion of the first quarter. Junior midfielder
Kitty Chapple avoided multiple Catamounts in the circle, as her shot towards the near post was deflected away by the Vermont (2-5, 1-0 America East) keeper.
After firing off four shots in the first quarter, the Crimson broke through and found the opening goal in the second quarter. Setting up a corner opportunity, Beekhuis'
 shot deflected off a Vermont defender, as Oliver tapped in the eventual match-winning goal. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Oliver now has three goals on the season, a new career-high for the 2023 All-Ivy League Honorable Mention.
Harvard dominated the first half of action, recording 14 shots compared to zero from Vermont. In the second quarter alone, the Crimson earned five corner opportunities, logging 10 shots in the process.
Neither team found the back of the net in the third quarter, as the Crimson offense produced two more goals in the fourth quarter to put the match away. Oerlemans orchestrated a stellar solo effort for the first goal of her Crimson career, as the Los Angeles, California native dribbled past multiple defenders on the byline, slipping a shot into the back of the net, 2-0.
Moments later, the hosts conceded a penalty stroke opportunity for the Crimson, as Guckian converted from the spot for the second time this season, 3-0. After Vermont netted its first goal of the contest, Beekhuis restored Harvard's three-goal lead with a score in the closing seconds off a penalty corner, 4-1.
Harvard dictated the pace for the entirety of the match, recording 26 shots compared to Vermont's six, as 15 of the Crimson's shots were on target. In her first start of the season, Castore logged three saves.
HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS:
- The Crimson registered 26 shots against Vermont, tying the season-high from the 2024 opener against William & Mary.
- Harvard is a perfect 4-0 in matches away from Cambridge this season, as the Crimson is outscoring opponents 14-2 on the road.
- With the victory, Harvard has 77 straight wins against unranked opponents dating back to the 2016 season. The last loss against an unranked opponent arrived on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, as the Crimson fell short against UMass, 3-1.
- With her goal in the first half, Oliver has three goals this season, setting a new career high.
- Oerlemans netted the first goal of her Crimson career in the fourth quarter.
- Castore stopped three shots in her first start between the posts this season.
UP NEXT:
The Crimson conclude its road swing on Saturday, Sept. 28, as Harvard travels to Brown for an Ivy League showdown at 1 p.m. Harvard returns to Berylson Field on Sunday, Sept. 29 for a contest against intrastate foe UMass. Both matches will stream live on ESPN+.
For all the latest on Harvard Field Hockey, follow the Crimson on Twitter (@HarvardFH)and Instagram (@harvardfieldhockey).
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