No. 3 Harvard Field Hockey Sweeps the Weekend, Sets Program Record For Longest Win Streak

No. 3 Harvard field hockey continued its historic season this past weekend. The Crimson (15-0, 6-0 Ivy) beat Columbia (7-7, 1-5 Ivy) in a tight 2-0 game on Berylson Field last Friday. Then, on Sunday, the Harvard team headed to Amherst, Mass., where it defeated the No. 15 University of Massachusetts (14-3, 7-1 MAC) in a 1-0 nailbiter.

With the two wins, the Crimson clinched its eighth regular-season Ivy League title, secured hosting rights for the upcoming Ivy League Tournament, and extended its win streak to 15-0, remaining the only undefeated program in the NCAA.

Harvard will close out the regular season on Friday night against its iconic rival Yale (12-3, 4-2 Ivy) in New Haven, Conn.

Harvard 2, Columbia 0

The Crimson and the Lions battled through a tense 45 minutes of scoreless play this past Friday afternoon. Through the first three quarters, the home team dominated possession of the ball, pushing relentlessly towards goal, but was repeatedly blanked by the Lions’ defense.

In fact, in the first 45 minutes alone, Harvard fired off 12 shots and kept Columbia to just one shot of its own. Despite its consistent offensive efforts, the Crimson struggled to slip the ball past Margot Houle, the Lions’ sophomore goalkeeper, and into the back of the cage.

The Harvard fans, who lined the sidelines of Berylson Field to celebrate the six seniors on the team, were not able to breathe a sigh of relief until the final minutes of the fourth quarter when the Crimson finally took the lead.

Harvard’s junior midfielder, Lara Beekhuis, deked her way through a mass of defenders on the far left side of the circle before blasting a powerful shot toward the goal. Sophomore forward Emily Bronckers, who was lined up perfectly in front of the net, deftly tipped the shot home, giving Harvard a 1-0 advantage.

As the fans exploded into raucous cheers, the Crimson’s momentum intensified. Throughout the last few minutes, Harvard sent five more shots barreling toward Houle in the net.

The Crimson’s offensive pressure drew back-to-back penalty corner opportunities. Although the team was not able to capitalize on the first shot, it did nab another goal on the second try.

After a stellar insert from senior Kate Oliver, captain Kitty Chapple dished the ball back to Beekhuis. To extend the lead to two, the Laren, Netherlands native slammed the ball past Columbia’s goalkeeper with just 22 seconds remaining on the game clock.

“This season, we have consistently executed game plans effectively and been very clinical in our attacking play. Our coach has done a great job of recruiting, so we have a really strong squad with a lot of depth, and we are gelling well on the pitch,” Chapple said. “When you put all of those things together, the outcome is some really nice hockey.”

Harvard’s depth and cohesion were evident across the weekend, but particularly in its game against Columbia, where eight different players tallied shots on goal. The team fired seventeen shots on net during the contest.

In comparison, the Lions were only able to record one shot throughout the game, which was expertly blocked by the Crimson’s rookie goalkeeper Linde Burger. The Heerhugowaard, Netherlands native earned the title of Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week for the back-to-back shutouts this weekend.

Thanks to the combination of stellar defense and relentless offensive pressure, the final score read 2-0 in favor of Harvard. The victory capped off a fantastic senior day celebration and a perfect regular-season home record for the Crimson.

“We really appreciate any support from family and friends; it means a lot to us,” Chapple said while reflecting on Harvard’s full sideline. “It’s always exciting to see people watching and cheering on the sidelines.”

Harvard 1, UMass 0

After celebrating the Ivy League regular season title, Harvard had to shift its sights to its interstate rival, UMass. The game served as an opportunity for redemption for the Crimson, which fell to the Minutewomen in a devastating 1-0 loss in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals last season.

In a similar fashion to the game against Columbia, neither team was able to score until the fourth quarter of play. Harvard outshot UMass ten to four, but again was unable to capitalize on the offensive opportunities in the early quarters.

That being said, the Crimson continued to thrive defensively against the Minutewomen. The home team was only able to make credible threats on the net during its three penalty corners. During those chances, Burger made a few incredible saves, contributing to her Ivy League Defender of the Week resume.

Meanwhile, Harvard’s most promising offensive moment came early in the first quarter. Sophomore Tilly Butterworth sent a shot flying towards the net, but it was blocked by the UMass defender.

It was not until just under six minutes were remaining in the final quarter that Crimson finally broke through the Minutewomen’s defense. After a series of passes into the offensive zone, Chapple zipped the ball to sophomore Martha le Huray, who sent the ball home. Le Huray now leads the team in both goals and points, with 11 goals and four assists.

During the contest, Harvard’s strong defense held UMass to just three shots on goal, helping Burger notch her seventh shutout of the season and second consecutive shutout of the weekend.

With the 1-0 win over the Minutewomen, Harvard has now tallied 15 straight victories, the longest undefeated run in school history. Notably, the Crimson is also undefeated against ranked opponents.

“We like to take the season game by game, and we operate under the mindset that the next game is always the most important game of the season,” Chapple said. “So right now, our focus is on preparing for our game against Yale on Friday.”

Despite its success so far, the team prepares for one game at a time. On Friday evening, Harvard will take on its rival, the Bulldogs, in the last game of its regular season.

If the Crimson can beat Yale, the team will kick off the competitive Ivy League Tournament with serious momentum. The game will be a critical contest for both programs, as the Bulldogs need a win to secure a bid in the Ivy League Tournament, while Harvard needs a win to cap off its perfect regular season.

“We are happy with the hockey we have played so far this season, but we are driven by a desire to continue to improve as a team, so we take time to reflect as a team to understand what we can learn from each performance,” Chapple said. “So, after our games, we identify areas we can work to improve during practice that week.”

After easily outshooting each of its opponents this weekend, the Crimson will focus on turning those shots into goals this week at practice.

Now positioned to make a successful run in both the Ivy League Tournament and the NCAA Tournament, the Harvard team strives to continue its run of stellar play. With its combination of both defensive prowess and offensive drive, the Crimson has forged itself into a formidable threat in the upcoming playoff season.
— Staff writer Isabel C. Smail can be reached at isabel.smail@thecrimson.com