After that I was certain Harvard would deliver the game-winner, as it had done so many times last year. But Cahill refused to let that happen. Late in the third she hustled out of the crease to prevent Francisco from scoring on a breakaway that would have given Harvard its first lead of the game. That play gave Dartmouth new life, and the Big Green cashed in during overtime.

Which brings me to the bottom line. As much as Harvard struggled, it still had plenty of chances to win. Take away one costly turnover in the neutral zone during overtime, and the unbeaten streak could have lived on. But how important is a winning streak, especially one from a season that is already over?

Although I wasn't in Providence when it happened, Brown did beat Harvard last year--coincidentally, in the fatal second weekend of the season. There is a long way to go until the postseason rolls around in March, and in the long run this game was no more important than Saturday's 7-2 shellacking of helpless Boston College.

"It was good for the freshmen to see the banner go up, but tonight reminded us that this is a new season," Ruggiero said. "After losing to Brown last year we tightened up our defensive coverage, and I think we can do that again. If we're going to lose, I'd prefer to lose in November."

Keep in mind that I have just spilled a lot of ink about one loss (good thing I'm not the beat writer for the 1-7 New Orleans Saints). I can do that because this team will not lose often, and the road to this year's national championship will still go through Cambridge.

So let's get on with it. Harvard will have a shot at redemption Saturday when it travels to archrival New Hampshire. With a consistent defense and more passes in the offensive zone, the Crimson should be able to beat the Wildcats and reclaim the No. 1 ranking.