No. 15 Harvard Discipline Hockey Eyes Ivy Championship, NCAA Postseason | Sports activities

With solely 5 video games left within the common season, No. 15 Harvard area hockey is making strikes in direction of one other Ivy League championship and NCAA match run. The Crimson has toppled two of their Ivy League rivals so far, Penn and Yale, leaving three faculties to go over the subsequent few weeks.

“The ability stage distinction or tenant distinction that is likely to be on every staff actually has much less impression on the sport as a result of the vitality and the proud college colours, so to talk, take over in these video games,” head coach Tjerk van Herwaarden stated.

This weekend, Harvard will journey to Hanover, N.H. to tackle Dartmouth. Round this time final 12 months, the Crimson defeated the Massive Inexperienced 4-0, marking their seventh straight win towards the staff. Although the percentages appear to be in Harvard’s favor, it’s value noting the rise in competitiveness introduced to those Ivy League video games given the fame of Harvard because the reigning Ivy League champions and 2021 Final Four contenders.

“[Dartmouth] will nonetheless go all out to get the win, to defend their colours, to defend their college,” van Herwaarden commented. “It brings a special stage of vitality and I feel that is one thing we deliver as properly figuring out that we’ve got a stage to play for…it makes for thrilling video games.”

Maybe the hardest Ivy staff to beat might be Princeton. Harvard and Princeton are arguably the 2 greatest groups in Ivy League area hockey, splitting Ivy titles over the course of 2016-2019. Final 12 months, Harvard earned a well-fought 2-1 victory over the Quakers after a penalty shootout in time beyond regulation, granting them their championship title.

Although the anticipation of their contest towards Princeton is constructing, this time beyond regulation win was probably the most memorable within the staff’s historical past. On this identical be aware, Harvard has traditionally tended to dominate in time beyond regulation situations. With three already this season, and two being double time beyond regulation conditions, the Crimson has received all of them. Even final 12 months, Harvard discovered itself in six time beyond regulation conditions. The staff received all 5 however misplaced the final towards reigning NCAA champions Northwestern in the Final Four game, in which they put a point on the board. Regardless of this, they nonetheless posted two impressive shutouts and overtime wins against No. 6 Louisville and No. 2 Michigan within the match.

Simply this weekend, the Crimson tallied one other double time beyond regulation win towards the College of Massachusetts at Lowell in a feisty 2-1 battle. With objectives from junior Siofra Murdoch and first-year Bronte-Could Brough and stellar defense of the net by senior Ellie Shahbo, the netted rebound from Murdoch after a cease by the River Hawk’s goalie from a shot from Brough lifted the Crimson previous UMass Lowell.

“With the facility from Bronte or Siofra Murdoch we will damage their penalty corners,” the top coach stated. “I feel that has improved this previous season.”

In these time beyond regulation conditions, Harvard has a extra managed method versus overrunning it in a short time and dashing in direction of the web.

“When the time beyond regulation goes right down to seven individuals, we’ve got a number of high quality individuals to select from, so I feel that is the very first thing that performs a giant think about having the ability to dominate them,” van Herwaarden mirrored.

“I feel we’ve got a number of hockey IQ or hockey mind on the sector, so we play very sensible,” the coach continued. “The area that you just quit is so large and will be so harmful, that we are typically very affected person and disciplined in how we play these time beyond regulation situations.”

The Crimson have additionally been scoring extra simply this 12 months compared to final, marking enchancment of their offense given their fame for being one of many prime defensive groups in area hockey.

“I feel that the broadness and depth of our ahead line has been super to this point this 12 months,” van Herwaarden famous. “Constructing the expansion from our midfield to ahead line, with the ahead line being slightly smarter of their connection all collectively, I feel it has elevated during the last couple of weeks and that reveals within the variety of objectives.”

Of their latest 4-0 triumph towards Yale, Harvard scored simpler within the first half, however had problem scoring of their sport towards UMass Lowell on Sunday.

“If we wish to achieve success within the postseason we can’t let that occur, you recognize put together for each sport as if it is your final one,” the top coach stated.

“I feel that might be our mindset for the subsequent couple of video games…if we try this, one of the best is but to return.”

One other powerful however fruitful sport for Harvard was towards No. 9 St. Joseph’s within the torrential downpour. The Crimson solely misplaced 1-0 given the tough situations and expeceptional offense from the Hawks.

“St. Joseph’s was a very nice sport for us…we knew that they rating simply and have a really stellar protection,” van Herwaarden stated. “It is nice to play these forms of video games to see how we match up with them.”

“I felt we have been dominating 60-70% of the sport particularly between the 25 yard strains so at midfield we have been extra in management. The way in which we performed, the way in which we managed a lot of the sport was really very constructive.”

The latest loss towards St. Joseph’s, domination towards the Yale bulldogs, and a mighty win over the UMass Lowell River Hawks have boosted Harvard’s confidence and stored them en route in direction of one other profitable finish of season push.

Subsequent up, Harvard will hit the street to Massive Inexperienced territory for extra Ivy play on Friday afternoon at 3:00 PM EST. On Sunday, it can host Delaware at 12:00 PM on Berylson Discipline in Cambridge, MA.

​— Employees author Mairead B. Baker will be reached at mairead.baker@thecrimson.com. Observe her on Twitter @baker_mairead.