Harvard Outlasts Princeton as Penalty Drama Continues

#10 Harvard beat #8 Princeton 2-1 in a rivalry that needed 80 minutes and a shootout to separate the teams. Lara Beekhuis gave Harvard the lead from a second-quarter penalty corner before Saylor Milone equalized in the third. Then the goalkeepers took over. Princeton’s Olivia Caponiti stopped Tilly Butterworth on a penalty stroke in the fourth quarter, one of eight saves that tied her career high. Princeton got its own chance from the spot in overtime, but Linde Burger denied Pru Lindsey to force the shootout.

Harvard won it 4-2 to improve to 6-1 overall and 2-0 in the Ivy League. Princeton fell to 4-3 and 1-1, exactly where it stood after losing to Harvard at this point last year, with all three losses coming in shootouts. Harvard has gone the other direction, winning shootouts on consecutive weekends after beating Northeastern from the spot last Saturday. The rivalry already had plenty behind it: Harvard won last year’s regular-season meeting to claim the Ivy title before Princeton answered by beating the Crimson in both the Ivy League tournament final and NCAA semifinal.