CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — No. 12-ranked Harvard University cruised to a 14-3 victory over No. 16 the University of Michigan at home in Blodgett Pool to remain perfect in Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) play. Its best start since 2019, the Crimson has outscored its conference opponents 56-23 in four games this season.
Sitting at 10-1, Harvard is experiencing the program’s best start since 2019 when the Crimson won their first 10 games of the season. In 2019, the Crimson had beaten just one ranked opponent on its way to a perfect start of the season while this team picked up its seventh ranked win after defeating the Wolverines this morning.
The win over Michigan is just the second win for the Crimson over its CWPA rivals in program history and the first since the 2023 CWPA semifinal game when Harvard beat the Wolverines on a buzzer beater by a score of 9-8.
The Crimson jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after Lucy Berkman opened the scoring. The Wolverines would tie the game at one but that is as close as they would get for the remainder of the game.
Emma Gilbert and Heidi Heffelfinger would net two goals each to stretch the Crimson lead into the second quarter.
Up 5-2 after Heffelfinger’s second goal in the opening minutes of the second quarter, the Crimson held the Wolverines to just one goal for the rest of the game.
A six-goal outburst in the second quarter proved to be too much for the Wolverines after Heffelfinger, Ruby Hodge and Dany Zapata all scored for the Crimson.
Hodge would finish the game with three goals and four assists.
Erin Kim was in a playmaking role, recording three assists.
Emma Gilbert had a hat-trick.
Niki Piovan and Maya O’Dea both scored a pair of goals.
Orli Cooper made 12 saves between the pipes.
Information courtesy Harvard University Athletics Communications
