CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Underclassmen Maya O'Dea, Emma Gilbert, and Orli Cooper shined in the opening day of the 2025 season as the trio helped lead the Crimson to victories over both No. 25 LIU and No. 19 Wagner on Saturday.

Defeating the Sharks by a score of 16-8 earlier in the day, the Crimson kept rolling against Wagner in the afternoon game with a 15-11 win to start 2-0 for the first time since 2022.

In her debut, first-year netminder Orli Cooper recorded 14 saves, two steals, an assist, and two stops on five-meter attempts.

GAME 1: Harvard 16, LIU 8

• Emma Gilbert opened the scoring for the Crimson and netted the first goal of the season for Harvard on its first possession after finding some space in front of the net.
• Tied 3-3 at the end of the first quarter, juniors Heidi Heffelfinger and Ruby Hodge both scored to give the Crimson its first multi-goal lead of the game.
• Perhaps the best play of the game was started by Orli Cooper after getting over to make a cross-cage stop before finding O'Dea all alone on the other end for the seventh Crimson goal.
• O'Dea would go on to pick up three goals in the win in game one.
• Niki Piovan scored her first two collegiate goals.
• Emma Gilbert added two goals and two assists.
• 11 different Crimson scored goals while every player got on the score sheet as everyone picked up either a goal or an assist.
• Harvard went on a 5-0 run in the second quarter to help deliver the Crimson a win in game one.

GAME 2: Harvard 15, Wagner 11

• Maya O'Dea picked up her fourth and fifth goals of the season after opening the scoring in game two.
• O'Dea and Gilbert would exchange goals at the half to push the lead to 10-6 and take that lead into the third quarter.
• Niki Piovan picked up a big goal to help fight off a Wagner attack to make it 11-8 just before the buzzer in the third quarter.
• Maya O'Dea and Emma Gilbert both scored four goals in game two.
• Ruby Hodge added her first hat-trick of the year while also picking up two assists.
• Hodge, Gilbert, and O'Dea combined for 15 points.
• Orli Cooper had another impressive game, making 10 saves in three quarters of action for the rookie.

NEXT UP

Harvard is back in action tomorrow for day two of the Bruno Classic against Indiana at 10:00 a.m. and Redlands at 1:00 p.m.