The Columbia women’s soccer team gave Harvard a scare, but the Lions were unable to maintain their momentum in a 2-1 overtime loss on Saturday night. Columbia (7-7-3, 3-3-1 Ivy) knotted the score with only 15 seconds remaining in regulation, but excitement quickly turned into disappointment.
“They [Harvard] found a way to win a match which I thought we dominated for long, long stretches,” Columbia head coach Kevin McCarthy said. “You can dominate and have chances and still be on the short end of things, and that was our fate tonight.”
The game began with back-and-forth play, as both teams created offensive pressure in the first 10 minutes. Harvard (9-6-1, 6-1-0) struck in the 10th minute with a goal by sophomore forward Melanie Baskind, the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year. After taking the lead, the Crimson continued to pose a threat on Columbia’s half of the field.
Midway through the first period, the Lions fought back with a scoring opportunity of their own. With Harvard goalkeeper Lauren Mann out of position, senior midfielder Ashley Mistele took a shot that did not find the back of the net. Possession continued to alternate between the two teams as the first half came to a close. Columbia took two corner kicks in the period but could not convert on either of them, allowing Harvard to maintain its 1-0 advantage.
Columbia generated numerous scoring chances in the second period, using its aggressive attack to move into Harvard’s half frequently. Senior midfielder Sophie Reiser attempted to convert on a Columbia cross in the 57th minute, but the ball flew just out of her reach. Columbia later had two scoring opportunities after a cross in the 68th minute, but the first shot was saved and the second hit the near post.
A Columbia corner kick was blocked with two minutes remaining, and the rebound by sophomore forward Marissa Schultz did not find its target.
The Lions’ aggressiveness appeared to be futile as the second period wore on, but Columbia’s efforts paid off with mere seconds to play. After senior defender Meggie Ford sent a free kick into the box, junior defender Lauren Cooke headed the ball past Mann to tie the game with her first career goal.
“The last minute, I knew I had to put it all on the line,” Ford said. “I just felt like I had the perfect kick.”
A shot by Harvard forward Katherine Sheeleigh sailed high in the final second, and the game went into overtime.
“I was, quite honestly, very close to throwing up my hands and just saying, ‘Wow, you know, we banged on the door as hard as we could, and we just couldn’t open it,’” McCarthy said. “And then it [the goal] came.”
But Columbia’s celebration did not last for long. Just halfway through the extra period, Baskind led Harvard to sudden victory with her second goal of the game.
“It’s almost inevitable that there’s a bit of a letdown in the aftermath, and I was hoping we could play through that and then pick up the momentum again,” McCarthy said. “But to their [Harvard’s] credit, they had a chance and took it.”
With the win, Harvard maintained sole possession of first place in the Ivy standings. As the 2009 conference champion, the Crimson received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Columbia finished the season tied with Princeton for fifth place in the league.