No. 4 Harvard Field Hockey Topples Dartmouth and Northeastern, Matches Best Season Start Since 1976

The No. 4 Harvard field hockey team (6-0, 1-0 Ivy League) made history this past weekend, tallying back-to-back shutouts against both Dartmouth and Northeastern to remain undefeated. On Friday afternoon, the Crimson dominated the Big Green (2-3, 0-1 Ivy League) with a final score of 7-0 during its Ivy League opener at Berylson Field. Two days later, Harvard made the trip across Boston to take on Northeastern (4-3). The Crimson blanked the Huskies 2-0, successfully tying the record for the best start to a season in program history at 6-0, a feat not accomplished since 1976.

Harvard 7, Dartmouth 0

Despite a scoreless opening quarter, Harvard controlled the entirety of the game against the Big Green. The Crimson fired off eight shots in the first fifteen minutes, testing Dartmouth’s defensive line early in the contest. The Big Green goalkeeper, Ava Carlson, stood tall in the quarter, preventing Harvard from capitalizing on any of its scoring opportunities.

That being said, the Dartmouth defense could only withstand the Crimson for so long. After a drive towards the net spurred by captain Fiene Oerlemans, Harvard drew a penalty stroke. Sophomore forward Tilly Butterworth continued her strong offensive performance this season by converting on the penalty stroke and giving her team the lead. Merely a minute later, Oerlemans again spurred offensive momentum. The Los Angeles, Calif., native sent the ball across the zone and towards junior midfielder Lara Beekhuis. Beekhuis proceeded to bury her shot, notching her 50th career point and extending the lead 2-0 in favor of Harvard.

Following the lead of their captain, the Crimson’s underclassmen continued the offensive surge. Freshman Rosa Kooijmans pounced on a rebound to record her first collegiate goal. Butterworth then tallied her second goal of the contest off a penalty corner, sending the home team into the halftime break with a dominant 4-0 lead.

At this point in the game, Harvard had already outshot the Big Green 20-0. Additionally, the Crimson dominated possession, preventing Dartmouth from mounting any sort of threat in Harvard’s defensive end.

After the break, the Crimson proceeded to add to its advantage. Sophomore Martha le Huray nabbed Harvard’s fifth goal of the game, assisted by Oerlemans, halfway through the third quarter. Lucy Barker, a freshman from Malton, England, then struck for the first time in her collegiate career off of another pass from Oerlemans. Junior forward Sage Piekarski wrapped up the scoring for the Harvard team in the final few minutes of the game, tallying her second of the season.

At the final whistle, the Crimson had notched an incredible 30 shots, of which 22 made it on target. Notably, the team allowed only 1 Dartmouth shot, which did not even make it on net. Therefore, freshman Linde Burger secured her second shutout of the season, largely thanks to a defense anchored by Bronte-May Brough, Marie Schaefers, Charlotte Casiraghi, Smilla Klas, and Brooke Chandler.

Harvard 2, Northeastern 0

After its dominant defeat of Dartmouth, the Harvard team ventured across the Charles to take on the Huskies. Much like its game against the Big Green, the Crimson dominated possession in the opening quarter, producing five solid shots and three penalty corner opportunities. However, unlike Dartmouth, the defensive line held stoutly against Harvard’s onslaught, keeping the game close.

In the second quarter, sparked by an offensive push, Northeastern seemed to rally some momentum. Luckily for the Harvard fans who lined the sideline, Burger made the critical stop to preserve the shutout.

With just a minute before the halftime whistle, the Crimson finally struck. Stellar passing up the field and a mess of players in front of the net set Beekhuis up for her second goal of the weekend and fourth goal of the 2025 campaign.

Harvard, spurred by the lead, got back in its groove of quickly paced play. In the third quarter, the visiting team was able to block the Huskies from shooting again.

Late in the quarter, Barker drove into the circle and drew a penalty corner opportunity. Set up by Kooijmans and senior Kate Oliver, Brough slammed home her first goal of the season and sealed the victory for Harvard.

In the final quarter, the Crimson continued to outshoot the Huskies, holding them to just two in comparison to Harvard’s five. Burger finished the match with four critical saves, extending her scoreless streak to a full 217 minutes with her three consecutive shutouts.

With the win, the Crimson team has now tied the program’s best start to the season with a perfect 6-0 record. A Harvard field hockey team has not had a 6-0 start to the year since 1976.

The Crimson will now prepare to face off against its toughest opponent yet, as it travels to Princeton this Friday for a showdown against the No. 8 Tigers (4-2, 1-0 Ivy League). The match will be pivotal for both programs, which clash each year as the biggest contenders for the Ivy League Championship.

Last season, Princeton devastated Harvard in Cambridge by scoring the golden goal in overtime during the regular season. The Crimson responded by beating the Tigers in the finals of the Ivy League Tournament to secure a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. This year, Harvard will undoubtedly vie for its third consecutive title of Ivy League Tournament Champions. Currently, Princeton is poised to be its biggest roadblock.

The Tigers, much like the Crimson, are entering the match on a wave of momentum spurred by their commanding 5-0 victory over UConn on Sunday. With the added boost of home-field advantage, Princeton will look to set the tone early in what promises to be a high-stakes Ivy League contest. Harvard, meanwhile, will need to shake off the effects of a five-hour trip to New Jersey and establish its trademark fast tempo from the opening whistle.

With six straight victories, including three consecutive shutouts, Harvard has clearly established itself among the nation’s elite programs. The Crimson will put its historic start to the test this Friday in a top-10 matchup against its Ivy League rival, Princeton. The game is at 5:00 pm in Princeton, NJ. Fans who cannot make the trip can tune in to watch the match live on ESPN+.

-- Staff Writer Isabel C. Smail can be reached at isabel.smail@thecrimson.com