PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Powered by a relentless offensive attack, Harvard women's soccer ran past the Princeton Tigers to advance to the championship game of the Ivy League Women's Soccer Tournament.
Hannah Bebar,
Josefine Hasbo, Ólöf Kristinsdóttir and Gabby DelPcio all scored goals in the 4-2 victory, lifting the team into the championship game on Sunday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Harvard and Princeton met on the turf at Stevenson-Pincione Field on the campus of Brown University this afternoon, to compete in the inaugural Ivy League Women's Soccer Tournament Semifinals.
- The Crimson and the Tigers, who tied in its matchup earlier this season, were slotted as the tournaments two and three seeds, respectively.
- The Tigers stormed out of the gates, putting immediate pressure on the Crimson backline. Anna Karpenko made her first save of the match just five minutes into play to settle down the Harvard side.
- After a back and forth fifteen-minute stretch, Princeton managed to get the first goal of the contest.
- It only took Harvard four minutes to equalize, as Jade Rose fed a great ball into the scoring area for Hannah Bebar, who cleaned it up to score the first Crimson goal of the game.
- Harvard threatened again in the 26th minute, putting back-to-back shots on net. Bebar and Olof Kristinsdottir were both denied as Princeton managed to keep the game knotted at one.
- Princeton answered on the counter, getting its second goal of the match 29 minutes into the action.
- Once again, Harvard answered quickly. After getting fouled just outside the 18, Josefine Hasbo was set up with a free kick opportunity. Hasbo curled a perfect shot over the defense and just under the cross bar to level the score once again.
- Despite getting outshot 9-5 in the first half, the Crimson exited the field after 45 minutes tied a 2-2 with Princeton.
- The Crimson imposed its will early in the second half, as the team moved the ball quickly into the attacking third after the first touch. After Princeton cleared a ball in its own 18, August Hunter delivered a perfect header pass onto the foot of a streaking Kristinsdóttir, who chipped a shot over the keeper and into the back of the net to give the Crimson its first lead of the game.
- Six minutes later, the Crimson took advantage of another Princeton mistake. Gabby DelPico raced into the box to intercept a Tiger pass between the goalkeeper and a defender. DelPico threaded a shot underneath the goalkeeper and into the back of the net to increase the Crimson lead to 4-2.
- Harvard would hold onto the lead for the remainder of the game to secure its spot in the Ivy League Championship game on Sunday afternoon.
HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS
- The Crimson erupted for four goals over a 40-minute stretch to defeat the Princeton Tigers and advance to the Ivy League Women's Soccer Championship.
- Hannah Bebar scored the first Crimson goal of the afternoon, her fifth of the season.
- Josefine Hasbo followed with her sixth goal of the season.
- Ólöf Kristinsdóttir scored her team-leading eighth goal of the year.
- Gabby DelPico also found the nylon, scoring her sixth goal of 2023.
- Jade Rose and August Hunter added assists from their backline positions.
- Anna Karpenko made one save in net to backstop the effort.
- This was the most goals Harvard has put up against the Tigers since 2014 (5).
- Harvard will move on to play either Brown or Columbia in the Ivy League Championship on Sunday at 1:00 PM.
UP NEXT
The Crimson cemented its spot in the Championships game of the inaugural Ivy League Women's Soccer Tournament after its win today. The Crimson will now play the winner of Brown or Columbia in the championship game on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 1:00 PM on ESPN+.
