In the second half, Johnston and Minkus seemed to be everywhere, While Matias and the defense held off the Big Green, Johnston and Minkus relieved the pressure with drive after drive deep into Dartmouth territory.
Johnston tied the score on a penalty kick 15 minutes into the second half. The Big Green defense seemed shaken, and retreated from the charge of the dynamic Crimson front line. Dartmouth's passive play enabled Harvard to seize control of the tempo and begin playing the game on their own terms.
Dartmouth goalie kari Reuter came under siege as Johnston, Minkus, sophomore Laura Flynn, and junior Nicole Parent began slicing through the vaunted Big Green 'D' with relative ease. Finally, with 15 minutes to play, Parent scored the go-ahead goal.
The Big Green panicked, and started sending more players forward to pressure the Crimson defense.
But the Crimson defense rejected every attempt by the Big Green to move the play close to Donahoe in goal.
Sending more players up left fewer back to defend, and Minkus and Johnston wreaked havoc in the Dartmouth backfield. The insurance goal was scored on a rebound by junior midfielder Sharon Olken, after a bullet from Minkus was barely deflected by Reuter.
With the goalie on the ground, Olken easily beat her defender and Harvard was up, 3-1, with two minutes left to play.
"I was very happy with the win," Crimson Coach Tim Wheaton said, "and especially with our second half play. The players said to themselves, 'Hey, I want this,' and they went out there and took it."
"It was an exhilarating victory," freshman midfielder Libby Eynon said.
The win was especially sweet for the four seniors on the team: Johnston, Minkus, Weinstein, and stopper Skyler Vinton.
Pending a berth in the postseason ECAC tournament, the foursome may have played in their last game in a Harvard uniform.
"The game was a good way for the seniors to close out their career," Flynn said. "I'm happy for them."
"It's been a lot of fun," Weinstein said. "And today, today, was just great."
The Crimson will find out if they have won a berth in the ECAC tounament this afternoon.
"The odds are about 50-50," Wheaton said.