“They just wanted it more than we did,” said Johnston. “It definitely wasn’t a question of our ability.”

Harvard was plagued all day by its inability to control loose balls, as Dartmouth controlled possession for the majority of the contest, especially in the second half.

“We weren’t fighting for balls,” said Greenwald. “They were winning all the 50-50 balls. They just seemed more intense and a little more motivated then we did.”

Yet Harvard did create some scoring opportunities, even outshooting the Big Green 5-4 in the first half.

In the 17th minute of play, Johnston set up a corner kick to freshman Megan Meritt, who headed it to the goal where Dartmouth goalkeeper Anne Marbarger made a diving save to stop the ball right on the goal line.

Marbarger recorded five saves on the afternoon while Shields had four.

The Crimson will close out its season on Saturday when it hosts the Lions at 11:00 a.m.

“Everyone’s coming to play next weekend,” said Moran. “It’s my last game ever. I am definitely going to show up ready to play.”

—Staff writer Jonathan P. Hay can be reached at hay@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Carrie H. Petri can be reached at cpetri@fas.harvard.edu.