"We've played pressure games before," Caples said. "In the Ivies, you only get one chance because a round-robin determines the champion. We'll be just fine."
Harvard should also expect to face a sizable hostile crowd, larger than any that it has faced this season.
"The surroundings don't matter," Zacarian said. "We're the away team. We'll like the adversity."
Should Harvard win, it would face the winner of the subsequent Michigan-William & Mary matchup. It will be hard for the Demon Deacons not to be looking ahead towards a possible quarterfinal rematch with Michigan, who beat them 3-2 in double overtime in last year's tournament.
But Wake Forest will have to get past Harvard first. In the end, the Crimson's ability to win will depend on its ability to execute in spite of the adversity and the tough competition.
"Just executing--that's the big part of the game," Zacarian said. "We have to make sure we remember the fundamentals."