Women's Soccer Falls to Columbia, Killing Championship Dreams

Harvard women’s soccer (5-6-3, 3-3-1 Ivy) traveled to New York City Saturday to face the Columbia Lions (6-6-3, 4-2-1 Ivy) — falling 2-1 after a 90 minute battle and ending the team’s postseason hopes.

Harvard entered the final match prepared to leave its heart on the field. Early in the fall, Harvard experienced struggles — experimenting with new lineups and battling inconsistency and injuries — sparking questions about its legitimate contention in a deep Ivy League field. But as the conference season unfolded, Harvard surged toward the top of the Ivy League and was set to compete for an Ivy League championship.

But after a devastating senior night loss to the University of Pennsylvania the previous weekend, Harvard arrived in New York desperate to earn one point and retain its Ivy League championship aspirations. Similarly, Columbia, the Lions entered the match after a loss to Princeton. The stakes were set for both squads: win, and advance.

The match opened with both teams eager to start off on the right foot. In the first 10 minutes of the match, Harvard and Columbia were hunting for possession to attack the front third of the field and put pressure on the goal.

The Harvard offense was led by junior defender Jasmine Leshnick and sophomore midfielder Írena Héðinsdóttir Gonzalez, who both produced two early shots on goal. Columbia responded with three shots of its own. All the shots between both teams were denied and gathered by the goalkeeper keeping the game deadlocked at 0-0.

In the 18th minute, a counterattack from Columbia allowed it to slip behind the Harvard defense and arrive inside the box with a clear view of the goal. As Harvard defenders rushed back, the Lions unleashed a ground ball that slid right past senior goalkeeper Rhiannon Steweart. Columbia was the first on the scoreboard.

Harvard remained steadfast in its attack on the Lions after the early deficit, logging two more shot attempts. Junior midfielder Anya Van Den Einde nearly had the equalizer, but the Columbia keeper salvaged its lead, holding on to a 1-0 advantage over the Crimson heading into halftime.

Columbia charged out the gate after halftime and tallied its second goal of the game at the 57-minute mark. Harvard’s hope dwindled, but an entire half remained to make one last leap.

The Crimson found frequent opportunities to combat the deficit over the course of the half. The first chance to score arrived off a corner kick, where a loose ball in the box nearly found the back of the net as Harvard attackers frantically swarmed the ball attempting to get a foot on it. However, the Lions goalkeeper quickly collected the ball at the last second. Sophomore forward Lauren Muniz produced two of Harvard’s best opportunities in the 70th minute, but they were both saved off the goal line.

As the final minutes wound down, reality began to set in for Harvard. In the 90th minute, one last effort successfully resulted in a goal. Sophomore defender Erin Gordon recorded her first career goal, but it was not enough to propel the Crimson over Columbia.

The Lions escaped with a 2-1 win over Harvard, earning one of the last spots in the Ivy League tournament, sending the Crimson home in utter despair.

As Harvard reflects on the season, the losses sting, but the team can take satisfaction from battling from the bottom of the Ivy League up several places.

“It was disappointing to end the season like this when we had our sights set on such big things,” captain midfielder Vanessa Frelih said. “But this group has so much talent and fight in them that I have no doubt they’ll bounce back better than ever come next year.”

The Crimson will graduate five seniors including two major defensive contributors — Stewart and August Hunter — who have helped shape the program, as well as forward Audrey Francois, who has been critical for Harvard’s offensive attack.

“This loss doesn’t take away the pride that I have had representing this team and university,” said Stewart. “I will always be grateful for the talented players and amazing people I have been able to share the field with.”

With a strong core of returners, including rising juniors and seniors who saw significant minutes this season, Harvard prepares to regroup and respond in 2026.

– Staff writer Chandler Piggé can be reached at chandler.pigge@thecrimson.com