Shahbo’s Stellar Saves Lead No. 10 Field Hockey To Crush Brown & Survive UMass in Thrilling Shootout Win This Weekend

The No. 10 Harvard Women’s Field Hockey team (7-1, 2-0 Ivy League) headed down to Providence on Saturday for an afternoon game against the Brown Bears (2-5, 1-1 Ivy League). After a dominant 4-0 win against the Bears, the Crimson returned victoriously to Cambridge to take on the UMass Minutewomen (7-3, 2-0 Mid-American Conference) on Sunday. The contest between Harvard and the Minutewomen was a nailbiter, extending into an overtime shootout in which the Crimson secured the 2-1 win in the sixth round of shots.

Harvard 4, Brown 0

The field hockey team traveled to Rhode Island alongside hundreds of Harvard students who made the trip to Brown to support the Crimson’s athletic programs. The Harvard team arrived at the Goldberger Family Field Hockey Field for its match against the Bears as the clear favorite, ranked 10th in the nation and boasting a dominant winning record. After proving its worth against Dartmouth last weekend, the Crimson looked to continue its competitive style of play against its Ivy League opponent.

The scoring started early for Harvard thanks to junior midfielder Fiene Oerlemans. The Los Angeles, CA native hammered home a shot off of a stellar assist from fellow junior Bronte-May Brough. The goal marked the second of the season for Oerlemans and the first of the weekend for the Harvard Crimson. In the second quarter of play, junior Kate Oliver sent another ball flying past the Bears’ goalkeeper Kylee Del Monte. Oliver’s goal, assisted by first-year Emily Bronckers, was her fourth of the season. The Crimson’s offensive success allowed Oerlemans and Oliver to give the Harvard team a comfortable two-goal cushion entering the halftime break.

That being said, the third quarter of play seemed to be the most defensively challenging for the Crimson. Brown’s offensive unit was able to get three shots on goal, which luckily for Harvard, were all stopped by junior goalkeeper Tessa Shahbo. Meanwhile, the Crimson was only able to fire two shots of its own during the quarter, marking the only section of the contest in which Harvard was statistically outperformed by Brown. Due to the combination of Shahbo and her defensive team’s success, the Crimson kept the quarter scoreless, maintaining the 2-0 lead going into the final 15 minutes.

Lara Beekhuis, the sophomore from Laren, Netherlands, lit up the scoreboard for Harvard a mere four minutes into the fourth quarter, setting the winning tone for the Crimson. Beekhuis, the 2024 Ivy League Tournament Most Outstanding Player, has scored five goals this season, making her a valuable offensive weapon for Harvard. Beekhuis’s goal was assisted by freshman Martha le Huray who has already tallied an impressive three assists so far this fall. Less than two minutes after the Crimson’s third goal, Sage Piekarski notched a goal of her own, sealing the victory for Harvard. In the final 15 minutes of play, the Crimson out performed the Bears offensively, recording nine shots and preventing Brown from maintaining possession long enough to get a scoring opportunity.

“We had a great win against Brown, but despite the scoreline, we remain hungry” Shahbo said. “Going into our game against UMass, we felt like we had another level of Harvard Field Hockey to reach.”

After its win against Brown, the Crimson had only a 24-hour turnaround before facing UMass. The Minutewomen have had some impressive victories this season, particularly against ranked opponents such as No. 6 St. Josephs and No. 20 UMass Lowell.

Shahbo explained that the team readied itself to compete against UMass just as it would for every game, “we mentally leave everything across the river as soon as we cross the bridge for practice.”

Harvard 4, University of Massachusetts 3

Entering the contest on the high of a seven-game winning streak, the Massachusetts Minutewomen posed a threat to Harvard. UMass, a team notorious for its underdog mentality, seemed like it had a chance to upset the Crimson in the first half of play. The two teams held each other to a standstill for the first 30 minutes, remaining scoreless and without practically any scoring opportunities from either side. In fact, after the halftime whistle, Harvard had only notched two shots, while the Minutewomen only had one.

“UMass has a very atypical structure that presented as a challenge for us,” Shahbo described. “We were required to problem solve on the field and make split-second decisions.”

The first goal of the game was scored with 50 seconds of play remaining on the clock in the third quarter off of a penalty corner. The Crimson’s Marie Schaefers fired the ball into the net after a great pass from the corner that was set up expertly by Kitty Chapple and Oliver. Unfortunately for Harvard, less than two minutes into the fourth quarter of play, UMass’s Claire Danahy sniped the equalizing goal from the top right of the arc after another penalty corner.

The game stayed tied throughout regulation play, as both teams fought a tough defensive battle. Entering overtime, the Crimson was forced to play a man down for the first five minutes because of a yellow card called against Schaefers. Harvard’s defensive unit, led by goalkeeper Shahbo, played fiercely, preventing UMass from scoring on any of its five shots on net during the extra time. Shahbo and her team’s efforts forced the game to extend to a penalty shootout.

Harvard, being the home team, had the first opportunity to shoot on UMass’s goalie, Myrte Van Herwijnen. Chapple, the junior from England, scored a beautiful goal to set a positive tone for the Crimson. UMass’s Paula Lorenzini responded with a goal of her own, sneaking the ball through Shahbo’s pads and into the back of the net. Harvard’s le Huray then failed to capitalize on a shot in the face of Van Herwijen’s aggressive defense. Shahbo followed Van Herwijen’s footsteps, playing boldly against Danahy, in a successful attempt to prevent UMass from taking the lead. The shootout advanced into the sixth round, as both teams remained deadlocked in a tie. Finally, Beekhuis fired home the game-winner off a rebound opportunity for the Crimson. The point was the second of the shootout for Beekhuis, and after an official review, was confirmed to be the golden goal.

“It was a defensive battle that required unwavering focus from the entire team, which ultimately led to double OT and a sudden death shootout victory,” said Shahbo as she reflected on the win. “Our whole team contributed to the win, especially the energy that our bench was projecting onto the field. Nothing beats the feeling of persevering through such a tough game and getting a win on Berylson Field.”

Shahbo specifically had a standout performance in the net, notching an impressive 12 saves during the two-hour-long contest. Her stellar play across both the Brown and UMass games this weekend earned her the title of Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week. Her aggressive style of play but poised mindset were particularly remarkable during the long shootout.

“For a goalie, the defense is an extension of me,” Shahbo said. “So when we go to shootouts, I lose that support. I can no longer work with my teammates, so I have to perform for them. Being a goalie can either make you feel the weight of the loss on your shoulders or the hero of the game, and shootouts certainly intensify these feelings!”

Shahbo certainly was the Crimson’s hero this past weekend, helping the team extend its winning streak to five. Harvard will look to use its victorious momentum in its homestretch, which continues next weekend. The team will first take on Yale (6-2, 1-1 Ivy League) in its Faculty Appreciation Game on Friday, Oct 4. Then, on Sunday, Oct 6., Harvard will face off against Boston University (4-4, 1-1 Patriot League).

“We have one central goal, rise from #10 to #1 in the country,” Shahbo says. For now, “we’re really focusing on having smaller, short-term goals to outline the process to get there: win regular Ivy League season, host the Ivy League tournament, qualify for NCAA tournament, and ultimately win the championship.”

Yale, Harvard’s notorious rival and an intra-league foe, will look to upset the Crimson at home. Similarly, BU, a cross-town rival, hopes to make a worthwhile trip across the Charles River. Notably, Harvard senior Maddie Mullaney will face off against her younger sister Grace Mullaney, a sophomore midfielder for the Terriers. Both games will be competitive contests for the Crimson.

Tune in to ESPN+ at 5:00 pm EST on Friday, Oct 4 to watch the Harvard Crimson take on the Yale Bulldogs on Berylson Field in Cambridge.

—Staff writer Isabel C. Smail can be reached at isabel.smail@thecrimson.com