CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Women's lacrosse plays its third game in the last seven days on Saturday as it heads to Albany to take on the Great Danes. 

Coming off a second half offensive explosion against the Bulldogs, the Crimson looks to improve to 2-1 before it starts Ivy League play with Dartmouth the following weekend. 

WHAT TO KNOW

• Coming off a decisive win on the road against Bryant, the Crimson look to pick up another against the Great Danes on Saturday with action starting at 12:00 p.m. on AE.TV . 
• It will be the last non-conference game until Mar. 12 when the Crimson travels up the road to play Boston College.
• Last season, Harvard went 6-2 in eight non-conference games with wins over UAlbany, No. 15 Navy, No. 23 UConn, Holy Cross, Bryant, and UNH.

LAST TIME OUT

• It was a tight game until the Crimson pulled away in the second half on Wednesday night. 
• Leading 6-5 at the half, Harvard added on another 12 goals in the second half while holding the Bulldogs to just three goals of their own. 
• Callie Batchelder added seven points after four goals and three assists. It marks the third time in her career that the junior has recorded seven points in a single game.
• Charlotte Hodgson finished with three goals and three assists for six points, while Grace Mullahyadded five after two goals and three assists. Tori Balser also added four goals as the key group of offensive returners for the Crimson combined for 13 goals and nine assists.
• Natalie Marvin added a pair of goals as the rookie has three goals in her last two games.
• Lexie Koch led the way on the draws after recording four wins on the evening.
• Six different Crimson defenders recorded a caused turnover.

SERIES HISTORY

• The Crimson is 1-1 in two meetings with the Great Danes. 
• Harvard came away with an 18-6 win early last season. 
• Grace Mullahy led all scorers with four goals and an assist.
• Harvard outshot UAlbany 33-13 and won 14 draw controls.
• The Crimson held UAlbany to just one goal in the first half.

LOOKING BACK

• With the Crimson consistently ranked in the top 25 all season long, Harvard opened the year with three wins in its first four games, defeating UAlbany at Jordan Field in the season opener before notching a pair of upsets against No. 15 Navy and No. 23 UConn in late February.
• Caroline Mullahy was the story of the season for the Crimson, as the senior rewrote the Harvard, Ivy League, and NCAA record books after a remarkable campaign. She tallied her 100th career assist in the season opener against UAlbany, broke the Harvard program record with her 112th assist against Bryant in late March, and then broke the Ivy League record in her next game against Brown. Mullahy became just the seventh player in program history to record 200 career points after a six-point outing against Yale. She added two assists in the final game of the season to become just the 15th player in NCAA history to record 150+ career assists.
• Mullahy was joined by Annabel Child as Crimson honorees on the All-Ivy First Team, and both were named USA Lacrosse All-Americans after earning honorable mention recognition.

NEW TO THE GROUP

• The Crimson will welcome eight new members to the program as part of the Class of 2029.
• Three members of the rookie class were named to the Inside Lacrosse Power 100 rankings, as Lexie Koch checked in with the highest ranking at No. 40, while Emerson Midura and Cecilia Batchelder both earned honorable mention recognition.

LEADING THE GROUP

• Despina Giannakopoulos and Kate Gilliam are set to lead the Crimson this season.
• Giannakopoulos started all 14 games last season and all 15 games the season before as a key member of the defensive unit throughout her tenure.
• Gilliam returns for her senior season after playing in 29 games throughout her Crimson career. The New York native scored three goals last season.

KEY RETURNERS

• Offensive leaders Charlotte Hodgson, Callie Batchelder, and Grace Mullahy all return for the Crimson.
• Batchelder recorded a career-high 45 points after tallying 26 goals and 18 assists in her sophomore campaign.
• Hodgson added a career-best 40 points after leading the team in goals with 30.
• Playing alongside her sister, Grace Mullahy increased her point production by 33 points in her sophomore season.

NEXT UP
Harvard returns to Jordan Field to host Dartmouth next Saturday in its Ivy League opener.