Dartmouth (4-3, 1-0 Ivy) broke Harvard's four-game winning streak. The Big Green lost its previous two games against Duke University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill by a combined 13 goals.
In the game's most decisive play, Dysenchuk took the ball from behind the goal with less than five seconds left, breaking an 8-8 tie as time expired.
Head coach Andy Towers said the play was not scripted and even he thought Dysenchuk would pass the ball in front of the net.
"I thought we were going to overtime," he said. "That is just Nikki being an unbelievably great player."
Towers also lauded Campbell's efforts in the game, which he said exemplify how Campbell is the best goalie in the Ivy League.
"This game just lets all the Harvard people and everyone else know what we already know about how good Fergus is," Towers said.
Assistant coach Jon Torpey said Campbell thrives in big games. Campbell had 23 saves last season in a game against Cornell University, which was ranked sixth at the time, to lead the Big Green to victory.
The win against Harvard (5-2, 0-1 Ivy) was a team effort, however, and Torpey praised the defense for giving Campbell manageable shots.
"There were times when the defense carried the team and there were also times when offense carried us," he said.
The Big Green struggled against seventh-ranked Duke (7-2), losing 18-10. Torpey said the second quarter in which Duke scored 10 goals doomed the team.
Dartmouth greatly improved against sixth-ranked UNC. Although the team suffered a 12-7 loss, Torpey who coaches the defense said the team played better on the defensive side of the ball.
"The UNC game was a step in the right direction," he said. "We put together three of our best defensive quarters all season."
Towers said the turnaround is a testament to the team's commitment and its ability to bury past losses.
"It shows how hard the team works," he said. "We take the season one day at a time."
The League win moved Dartmouth to second place in the conference standings. The Big Green will face a stiff test on Saturday, however, when it plays first-place Cornell (6-2, 2-0 Ivy), which is ranked 10th in the nation.
Torpey said Cornell will have to confront a particularly strong challenge in facing a "hungry" Cornell team, which includes junior attackman Rob Pannell, one of the country's best players. Pannell has 21 goals and 23 assists this season a total of 44 points. Kip Dooley '12 leads Dartmouth in points with 18.
Towers said the Big Green's early League position is important because he expects a tight race for the conference title. For now, however, he said the team must focus on practice and its game against Cornell.
Dartmouth plays Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y., at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
