The Harvard field hockey team's 2000 season may have come to an end with a 6-3 loss to Wake Forest in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday, but it was a new beginning for the team's future aspirations.

The solid showing of the Crimson (12-6, 6-1 Ivy) in the NCAAs gives the team a lot to build on for next season. Harvard came back and tied the game on three occasions in the first 45 minutes before finally succumbing.

"We had a great tournament," Coach Sue Caples said. "We played them tough and matched them goal-for-goal. We did not give up. They showed a lot of character coming back like they did."

The most encouraging result from the game was the Crimson's remarkable proficiency on penalty corners. Harvard's success on its first two corners of the day was the pinnacle of progress that had been evident throughout the latter part of the season--the culmination of uncountable hours of practice.

"We work on corners every day, and the last couple of weeks, every thing has come together, the timing on the pass, the stop, and the step to the hit," Caples said. "Everyone has improved this year. Earlier in the season we'd convert on tips and deflections, but the last few weeks we've had a few straight shots go in."

The game was invigorating and exciting for everyone involved. The Crimson played evenly for the first 45 minutes.

"I think that it was definitely an awesome game, with all the back and forth scoring," said freshman keeper Katie Zacarian. "The fundamentals were definitely there for us. Being able to score like we did on the two penalty corners--that was great."

Although Wake Forest was too tough to be conquered this past weekend, the team now has the experience and perspective it needs to achieve greater heights in future seasons. The team has already made significant strides in the two seasons since the construction of Jordan Field.