CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Senior midfielder Lindsey Ewertsen sent in a game-winning free-position goal with 1:13 on the clock to lift the Columbia women's lacrosse team past Harvard, 15-14, at Harvard Stadium on Saturday afternoon to give the Lions' their first Ivy League victory of the 2019 campaign.
 
"I was very pleased with the all-out fight and hustle we played with for 60 minutes," said fourth-year Columbia head coach Andrea Cofrin. "Our defensive unit played well, allowing Abby (Roberts) to make some key saves. Her outlet clears were perfect which helped us transition the ball quick to our offensive end. Our offensive unit did a great job moving the ball quickly and worked really well with each other to exploit holes in Harvard's zone defense."
 
It's the second consecutive win in the series for Columbia after the Lions earned a 14-13 win in New York last season, marking Columbia's fourth overall win over Harvard. Three of the Lions' victories over th Crimson have come in Cambridge.
 
Seven different Lions scored goals in the victory, led by sophomore attacker Chelsea Witteck with a career-high four goals on 4-of-4 shooting. Ewertsen was all over the field to stuff the stat sheet with a game-high seven points on three goals and four assists. Sophomore attacker Alexandria Absey added a hat trick, while first-year Rachel Graff sent in a pair of goals for her fourth multiple-goal game of the season.
 
It was a game of runs, with both teams posting multiple runs of 3-0 or better. Although the Lions sent in the game-opening goal, Harvard used a 5-1 run to take a 5-2 advantage at the 12:25 mark in the first half. Columbia responded with a 5-2 run of its own, ending the first period with three unanswered goals as Ewertsen scored off an interception in the final seconds to knot things up at seven after 30 minutes of action.
 
"At halftime, one of the biggest adjustments we wanted to make was finishing our free position shots," said Cofrin. "We focused on shooting harder and releasing our shots quicker. We also made some key draws when we needed them in the second half."
 
The Lions would extend the run to four-straight goals out of the locker room, taking an 8-7 lead with 26:54 to play as Ewertsen scored an 8-meter goal. The run would end there, as the Crimson scored four-straight to go back up by three. Back-to-back goals from Absey would then kickstart a 5-0 stretch for the Lions to take their largest lead of the game at 13-11 with 15:51 to play.
 
Using three goals in-a-row, the Crimson took their final one-point lead of the game before Witteck would tie things up at 14-14 on a free-position goal and ultimately make way for Ewertsen's game-winner in the final minutes. Sophomore Alison Schwasnick would grab the final draw control – her seventh of the game – and the Lions would run out the clock to claim the victory.
 
After both teams went a combined 0-of-12 on free position shots in the first half, the Lions made the needed adjustments as six of their eight goals in the second half were scored off 8-meters, including Witteck's game-tying goal and Ewertsen's game-winner.
 
Junior goalkeeper Abby Roberts earned the win with a phenomenal performance in the cage, making nine crucial saves including aiding the Lions in holding Harvard to just 1-of-7 on free-position attempts.
 
Although Harvard had a 20-10 advantage in draw controls, Columbia's defense was working to limit scoring opportunities, forcing 17 Crimson turnovers in the outing. Harvard was held to 11-of-15 on clear attempts.
 
The Lions will return home on Saturday, April 13 to face Yale at 1 p.m ET. The game will serve as Senior Day for Columbia's six seniors: Katharine Berdy, Ewertsen, Emily Manville, Sarah Nick, Laine Parsons and Madeleine Stuzin.
 
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