And it was all downhill from there.

After the first quarter, mishaps and letdowns multiplied, making it hard for the Crimson to pull itself together.

Brown being as skilled as it is, those mistakes all wound up on the scoreboard.

“[We did a bad] job of recognizing the defenses that they throwing at us and responding to them effectively,” junior captain Rick Offsay said.

But that’s not the only problem Harvard encountered.

Offsay cited the team’s fatigue from a schedule requiring two daily practices.

“I’m just exhausted,” junior Mike Gerrity said.

Still, though the team’s current record seems less that stellar, Offsay is hopeful that the extra practices will help with the fitness in the long run, especially as the team prepares for its tournament season.

That season begins Saturday, when Harvard returns to Brown seeking revenge once more and battles for the ECAC Championship.