CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – It was a historic day for Harvard men's lacrosse senior captain
Sam King, who reached the 100-goal and 200-career-point milestones to lead his team to a 20-16 win over Marquette at Jordan Field. The Crimson (3-1, 0-0 Ivy) delivered an impressive offensive performance to secure the victory over the Golden Eagles (2-3, 0-0 BIG EAST) for Harvard.
Graham Stevens anchored the defense in cage, making 14 saves, while King led the offense with a career-high-tying nine points, scoring seven goals and adding two assists.
How It Happened
The Crimson returned to Jordan Field this afternoon to face an unfamiliar opponent, the Marquette Golden Eagles. The BIG EAST foe traveled to Cambridge for what turned into an incredible day of lacrosse along the banks of the Charles River.
Harvard came out strong, as Stevens made an early save and
Wyatt Wiggins forced a turnover on Marquette's opening possessions. Senior defenseman
Logan Darrin capitalized on the chaos, collecting a loose ball and sprinting downfield to score his first career goal. On Marquette's next possession, another caused turnover by Wiggins led to a quick transition, with
Logan Ip finding the back of the net for his first goal of the day, giving Harvard a 2-0 lead—an advantage it would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.
After Marquette got on the board, Harvard responded with a five-goal scoring run, including three more in the first quarter. Ip and John Aurandt added to the tally before first-year faceoff specialist
Jackson Henehan won a clean draw, raced downfield, and scored his first career goal, giving the Crimson a 5-1 lead after 15 minutes of play.
Harvard converted on a man-up opportunity early in the second quarter, as
Andrew Perry fired a shot into the top right corner off an assist from
Sam King, the first of his nine points in the contest. Marquette quickly responded with a goal off the ensuing faceoff, but King answered with back-to-back goals to extend Harvard's lead to 8-2. A three-goal run by the Golden Eagles was halted by
Teddy Malone, whose first goal of the day pushed the score to 9-5. A rapid exchange of goals by both teams—Harvard's coming from King—capped off a high-scoring five-minute stretch in the second quarter. King's goal marked the 100th of his already illustrious Harvard career.
Stevens made four crucial saves in the final ten minutes of the half, shutting down Marquette's offense. Harvard ended the half on a high note, as Ip scored off a pass from King, sending the Crimson into the break with an 11-6 advantage.
Marquette struck first in the third quarter, but back-to-back goals from Malone and Aurandt restored Harvard's six-goal lead at 13-7. After another key save by Stevens, Harvard successfully killed off a penalty before
Miles Botkiss found the scoresheet for the first time, extending the lead. The Golden Eagles responded with four consecutive goals, cutting the deficit to 14-11 heading into the fourth quarter.
King continued his offensive dominance in the final frame, scoring three times in the first four minutes to maintain Harvard's control. Marquette added another goal, but the Crimson remained in command with a 17-12 lead and ten minutes remaining. Ip and Malone each netted another goal, matched by Marquette's late efforts. King's assist on Harvard's final goal of the game secured his 200th career point.
The Crimson held on for a 20-16 victory, improving to 3-1 on the young season.
Harvard Highlights
- Sam King reached 100 career goals and 200 career points in the contest.
- The senior also tied his career high with nine points, scoring seven goals on just nine shots and adding two assists.
- Graham Stevens made 14 saves in another strong performance in goal.
- Logan Ip set a new career high with four goals.
- Teddy Malone matched his career high with six points.
- Ray Dearth had another strong defensive effort, collecting five ground balls and causing two turnovers.
- Charlie Muller led the team with three caused turnovers.
- Harvard's defense held Marquette to a 62% (13-for-21) clearing percentage.
Up Next
Harvard will continue its three-game homestand next weekend, renewing its rivalry with the Michigan Wolverines. The Crimson and Wolverines will face off at 12:00 PM at Jordan Field, with the game airing live on ESPN+.
