Sports Front Feature
A Red Carpet Affair: Harvard Athletics Honors 50th Anniversary of Title IX
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, Harvard Athletics has showcased the achievements of Harvard female student-athletes, past and present, through a season’s worth of programming.
A Red Carpet Affair
Lavietes Pavillion was turned into a red carpet for a dinner celebration of Harvard female student-athletes in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Title IX amendment.
Future Trailblazers
Members of the Harvard women's ice hockey team pose for a picture at the Title IX event at Lavietes Pavillion on Saturday. Women's ice hockey alumna Angela Ruggiero '04, CEO and co-founder of the Sports Innovation Lab, received the Trailblazer Award.
A Night to Remember
From left to right, Harvard Athletics Director Erin McDermott, Angela Ruggiero ’04, Soledad O’Brien ’88, the Honorable Maura T. Healey ’92, and Jojo Neilson Boynton ’88, President of the Harvard Varsity Club, pose for a picture at the Varsity's Club gala dinner at Lavietes Pavillion last Saturday celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX.
Ahead of 5th Annual Fundraiser at El Jefe’s, Ben Abercrombie Continues ‘Inspirational’ Recovery
The routine tackle left Ben Abercrombie ’21-’23 paralyzed from the neck down. But five years later, Abercrombie is slowly but surely making progress, with a wide coalition of allies by his side. That coalition includes his parents Marty and Sherri, who live with him in his Winthrop House suite, his teammates, as well as an unlikely source — El Jefe’s Taqueria.
Peaking at the Right Time, Harvard Football Thrashes Penn, 37-14, to Keep Ivy League Title Hopes Alive
Harvard football (6-2, 4-2) needed everything to go right on Saturday to stay in contention for an Ivy League title. Defeating Penn (6-2, 4-2) was a must. It also had to root for its biggest rival, Yale (6-2, 5-1), to come up with an upset against Princeton (7-1, 5-1). In Philadelphia, the Crimson took care of business, thrashing the Quakers through the air and on the ground en route to a 37-14 victory. And thanks to the Bulldogs’ 24-20 victory over the Tigers in New Haven, Conn., an improbable scenario in which four teams could share the conference championship inched closer to reality. The win also clinched the team's first undefeated road record since 2015.
No Rocky Road: Harvard Men's and Women's Fencing Dominate Opponents in Air Force Western Invitational in Colorado
The Harvard women’s and men’s fencing teams got off to a hot start in last weekend's season-opening meets. Both teams traveled to the Air Force Academy in Colorado to compete in the Air Force Western Invitational on Saturday and Sunday. The men won six out of its seven matches in the Rockies, while the women went undefeated across eight matches.
In ‘Game of Inches,’ Harvard Football Drops 21-20 Contest to Columbia; All But Mathematically Eliminated From Ivy League Contention
According to Harvard head coach Tim Murphy, football is a "game of inches". During Saturday’s game between Harvard (5-3, 3-2) and Columbia (4-4, 1-4), the Crimson needed just a few more inches. After opting to kick a 42-yard field goal down by one on fourth and one with just over a minute remaining, Murphy’s faith in his senior kicker, Jonah Lipel, was not rewarded. Instead, a Lions defender got a fingertip on the football, which veered left and clanked off the left upright, shattering the hopes of Harvard’s players and the hearts of the fans who had gathered on a balmy fall afternoon to watch the team play. The 21-20 victory was Columbia’s first at Harvard Stadium since a 28-24 win on Sept. 16, 1995.
Preview: Harvard Football Seeks to Protect the Den Against Hungry Columbia Lions
Right now, Harvard football is knotted up with Penn and Yale in the Ivy League standings, two heavyweights who have only taken one loss in the conference and look to be the only other teams who could potentially steal the league crown from undefeated Princeton. The Crimson (5-2, 3-1) will play both those rivals in this final three-week stretch of the season, but this weekend, it will have to wait to prove its conference mettle, as it takes on struggling Columbia (3-4, 0-4) at home on Saturday.
Harvard Women's Ice Hockey Struggles in Season-Opening Homestand Against Ranked Opponents
After an offseason that saw a lot of roster turnover and the integration of many fresh faces into its lineup, Harvard women’s ice hockey was challenged early in a four-game homestand to open its 2022-23 season. It faced the monumental task of developing team chemistry while simultaneously winning games against quality opponents. Ultimately, the first four games of the season underlined just how much work the Crimson still has to do, as it managed just one victory – a shutout of Dartmouth – while suffering three setbacks, at the hands of Quinnipiac, Yale, and Brown.
Kings of the North: Harvard Football Relies on Running Game, Defense to Beat Dartmouth, 28-13
After last week’s 37-10 loss to Princeton dropped Harvard (5-2, 3-1) into third in the Ivy League standings, the Crimson needed a win to keep its hopes for an Ivy League championship alive. Harvard likely has to win each of its last four games in order to have a real chance at claiming the conference title, and the Tigers must lose once. During Saturday’s 28-13 victory over Dartmouth (2-5, 1-3), the Crimson offense was rarely pretty, but it scrapped its way to a needed win.
Turning the Blue Charles Gold: Harvard Rowers Claim Victories at 2022 Head of the Charles Regatta
Last weekend, hundreds of thousands of spectators flocked to the Charles River to watch collegiate, club, and international rowers take part in the historic Head of the Charles Regatta. With the Regatta being tied to Harvard throughout its 55-year historical tradition, all four Crimson rowing teams opened their seasons at this regatta. Different Harvard boats won big at home, taking gold and silver medals back to their boathouses.
In Most Lopsided Loss in Five Years, Harvard Football Gets Trounced by Princeton, 37-10
For Harvard football (4-2, 2-1), Friday night’s clash against No. 23 Princeton (6-0, 3-0) marked an opportunity to exact revenge after a heartbreaking, controversial defeat to the Tigers 363 days prior. However, Princeton flipped the script completely on Friday, scoring 23 unanswered points after halftime as the Tigers claimed pole position in the Ivy League title chase with a 37-10 victory. The 27-point margin of defeat was Harvard’s largest since a 52-17 loss to Princeton on Oct. 20, 2017.
Harvard Men's Lightweight Crew Head Coach Billy Boyce Prepares For Another Head of the Charles After Illustrious Rowing Career at Cornell
For competitors, coaches, and spectators alike, the Head of the Charles Regatta is a spectacle. Some crew diehards, like Harvard men’s lightweight head coach Billy Boyce, have the opportunity to see this scene from multiple perspectives. After taking part in the HOCR as both a rower and a coach, Boyce experienced the regatta from multiple points of view while establishing himself as a key figure in collegiate crew, both in and out of the boat.
Preview: Hungry For Redemption, Harvard Football Welcomes No. 23 Princeton to Cambridge
363 days after that a controversial, heartbreaking loss, the Crimson (4-1, 2-0) will have a chance at redemption when the No. 23 Tigers (5-0, 2-0) travel to Cambridge for a Friday night battle. The two teams, which are tied with Penn (5-0, 2-0) and Yale (4-1, 2-0) for first place in the Ivy League, will clash at Harvard Stadium at 7 p.m.
Preview: Crew Teams Prepare for 2022 Head of the Charles Regatta
In just a few days, the banks of the Charles River will be filled with rowers, coaches, and spectators alike for the world’s largest three-day rowing event: the Head of the Charles Regatta. Since its inauguration, the event has grown to 55 different events, featuring over 11,000 rowers from all around the world. Winners of each race receive the honorary title, “Head of the Charles.”
Engine Humming at Audi: In Truth and Service Classic, Harvard Football Uses Third-Quarter Run to Beat Howard, 41-25
When Saturday's game against Howard (1-5, 0-0) kicked off at Audi Field, the home of MLS's DC United and the NWSL's Washington Spirit, the Crimson was seemingly united in spirit, receiving significant contributions from established stars like senior running back Aidan Borguet and breakout underclassmen like sophomore defensive lineman Dominic Young-Smith and sophomore running back Shane McLaughlin to come away victorious, 41-25.
Exhibiting Tenacity, Harvard Football Claims 35-28 Victory Over Cornell, Improves to 2-0 in Ivy League
Harvard’s (3-1, 2-0) status as Ivy League co-favorite was cemented before it kicked off for a Friday night matchup against Cornell (2-2, 0-2) in Ithaca, N.Y. On the field, Harvard looked the part, relying on a strong offensive performance in the second half and a special-teams touchdown in a 35-28 win.
Men's Soccer Loses Ivy Opener, 3-2, to Cornell, Notches 1-0 Win at Boston University
The Harvard men’s soccer team (5-4-1, 0-1) dropped a close contest to the Cornell Big Red in its Ivy League opener, but bounced back quickly a few days later by shutting out its crosstown rival, the Boston University Terriers. Although the loss was undeniably a disappointing start to its Ivy League campaign, the Crimson was undeterred and performed well against the Terriers.
Preview: Football Prepares for Nationally Televised Conference Matchup Against Cornell
With two of its three out-of-conference tuneups out of the way, crunch time is quickly approaching for Harvard football (2-1, 1-0). Since the Ivy League opts not to participate in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs, the seven regular-season contests are the sole determinant of conference glory, so from here on out, nearly every snap will matter. The gauntlet will begin on Friday night, when the Crimson will play its second Ivy League matchup of the season, a 7 p.m. clash in Ithaca, N.Y., against Cornell (2-1, 0-1).
Harvard Football Falls in Tight Battle to Holy Cross, 30-21, Drops to 2-1 on Season
Throughout Saturday's 30-21 loss to No. 11/10 Holy Cross (5-0, 1-0), Harvard (2-1, 1-0) appeared to have no answer for Crusaders’ junior wide receiver Jalen Coker, who took his 10 catches for 166 yards and a score. It was a bizarre game featuring multiple replay reviews, two deflected punts, and a botched handoff early in the fourth quarter that proved the difference.
Harvard Football Beats Back Frantic Brown Rally to Win Ivy Opener, 35-28
After leading 35-7 with 15 minutes to go in its Ivy League opener, Harvard football had to face down a potential game-tying drive from the Bears with under two minutes remaining and score standing at 35-28. Still, Harvard (2-0, 1-0 Ivy) hung tight and got the stop, coming away with a gritty win on the road over Brown (1-1, 0-1 Ivy).
Harvard Football Stages Comeback to Defeat Merrimack in OT for 21st Straight Home Opener Win
The Harvard football team staged a comeback on Friday to defeat Merrimack, 28-21 in overtime, for its 21st straight win in a home opener.
Conservative Lawmakers Say Banning Trans Youth From Sports Will Keep the Competition Fair. Some Harvard D1 Athletes Disagree.
In 2022, the number of states banning transgender athletes from school sports doubled. Some current and former Division I athletes at Harvard criticized the legislation being passed around the country and said it does not target athletes competing in elite-level sports.
No Gaffes-ney
First-year attacker Owen Gaffney scouts downfield as he runs with the ball in a 19-16 comeback victory over Princeton on April 23. On May 15, Gaffney and the Crimson fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the hands of No. 6 Rutgers, 19-9.