Division I Women's Notebook: The Keys to Hot Starts for Harvard, Hopkins

There was little Brown could do when Harvard attacker Callie Hem tip-toed into the eight-meter arc last Saturday.

Hem, who had four goals entering the game’s final moments, was steps ahead of her defender as she caught the feed and ran in to score. Her teammates embracing her, as the rest of the Crimson squad jumped on the sideline.

The score was 18-17 Harvard with less than 11 seconds left. Down five goals multiple times, Hem and her teammates engineered a thrilling comeback to continue an unexpected undefeated season.

“No matter what was going on on the scoreboard, they believed in each other,” coach Devon Wills said. “It was a full team win. The bench, the energy was unreal. It showed them that not all wins are going to be easy and not all will be pretty, but it took every single person.”

Saturday’s win pushed the Crimson to 4-0 for the first time since 1992. All but the win against Brown have been dominant, double-digit victories. It’s a remarkable shift after Harvard opened 2023 with four straight losses.

Hem has been key to the Crimson’s success with 25 goals. She leads the country with 6.25 goals per game and a perfect, 100-percent free-position rate. She’s on pace to surpass her goal total from the last two seasons combined (34 in 2022, 43 in 2023).

The breakout season hasn’t been shocking for Wills.

“Nothing really ever surprises me about Callie,” Wills said. “We see her every day in practice and how incredible and talented she is. Every year we always feel like she can do more, do more, do more. This year, she’s taking ownership with that.”

Wills also noted the strength of Harvard’s attack, saying it would be impossible for Hem to do her job without the rest of the unit.

Hem was on the same page. She said there was nothing different about her offseason preparation or approach, crediting her teammates’ play and offensive coach Kenzie Kent for the success.

Harvard is currently the top scoring offense in the country, averaging 19.5 goals per game. Teammates Riley Campbell, Caroline Mullahy and Maddie Barkate have combined with Hem to form a formidable quartet.

Wills said they excel at sharing the ball and playing unselfishly.

“Anybody can make a good move, whether or not they open something up for somebody else or put it home themselves,” Wills said. “They really trust each other.”

She also credited Harvard’s captains and senior leadership for the on-the-field success. They pick up anyone having a tough day and aren’t afraid to put in extra work, Wills said.

Several of these star upperclassmen are among the handful left in college lacrosse who sat out the 2021 season due to the Ivy League’s COVID-19 sports cancellations.

Now, three years later, Harvard’s upperclassmen have the team off to a historic start in an extremely competitive Ivy League — and the Crimson aren’t ready to slow down.

“There’s a ton of talent in this conference, and it’s showing in the rankings,” Hem said. “It’s super exciting. It motivates our team more that we have really good competition, and it gives us a lot of confidence that we can play with really good teams, too.”

HOPKINS BONDS FUEL FAST START

Johns Hopkins players shout “together” every time they break a huddle.

But it’s more than just a catchphrase for the Blue Jays, who are 6-2 entering an exciting weekend matchup against No. 11 Stony Brook in the Crown Lacrosse Classic in Charlotte, N.C.

“There’s 41 girls on this team, and every single person is valued,” midfielder Abbey Hurlbrink said. “Everybody has a role. We were learning in the beginning of the season and as we go, how, when everybody puts their full effort into their role, we’re able to do amazing things.”

The Blue Jays have bounced back after a series of close games, including two back-to-back losses to ranked opponents in Penn and Loyola. Johns Hopkins is 3-0 since February 28, including its biggest win of the season — a dominant, 21-3 defeat of Vanderbilt on Wednesday.

What the Blue Jays have relied on for success: an emphasis on playing a complete game while trusting everyone to succeed in their roles.

Coach Tim McCormack said the Jays have been pushing forward but aren’t quite there yet.

“Playing a full 60 [minutes] doesn’t mean you’re not going to get scored on,” McCormack said. “It doesn’t mean that you’re not going to lose a couple draws here and there. Bringing focus, energy [and] effort is the key. That’s probably the biggest learning curve: bringing the urgency.”

The Blue Jays are getting closer, though. McCormack said the win over Vanderbilt was the most complete effort of the season.

Even without hitting its peak, Johns Hopkins has emerged as a competitive team early this season after receiving plenty of preseason buzz. Six of its eight matchups have been decided by fewer than four goals, though, with four resulting in Blue Jay wins.

Sticking to “Blue Jay lacrosse” principles has been one key to winning the close ones. Hurlbrink said these values include love of the game and being Teflon through “controlling the controllables.”

““It’s been amazing to see everybody fully living Blue Jay lacrosse and those values,” Hurlbrink said. “That has shown in the results on the field, but also [in] how close-knit this group is off the field.”

The Blue Jays’ bond has stood out to McCormack, too. He called his team the closest unit he’s ever seen, saying it’s difficult to tell underclassmen and upperclassmen apart during practice.

McCormack has also been impressed by their “team-first” mentality in a world dominated by distractions like social media and stat lines.

“To play together and support each other and have 41 people rallying and owning that — that’s very difficult to do,” McCormack said. “It’s something we’re always after. It’s the pinnacle of with what we define as ‘Blue Jay lacrosse.’”

Hurlbrink credited the coaching staff for giving all players equal opportunities in practice regardless of whether they’re starters or on the sidelines. She called it a “testament to the culture,” saying it’s unique that all players get equal playing time in practice.

As the Blue Jays eye a tough Stony Brook team and competitive Big Ten slate, a few things are certain: they’re going to continue appreciating each other and embracing the fun in their preparation.

“When we go out to practice, we’re just having fun and getting better every day,” Hurlbrink said. “[We have] that sense of getting out there and having fun, a no judgment zone. You can feel free to try different things without feeling like you’re going to get in trouble or judged.”