CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard women's soccer is set to open its 2023 campaign this weekend with a pair of matchups against foes from Connecticut. The Crimson (0-0-0, 0-0-0) will travel to Fairfield this Friday (Aug. 25) to face the Stags (1-0-1, 0-0-0 MAAC) before opening Jordan Field on Sunday (Aug. 27) against the Connecticut Huskies (1-0-0, 0-0-0 BIG EAST).
 

WHAT TO KNOW

• Harvard women's soccer returns to the pitch after a magical 2022 season that ended with a run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and a 12-2-3 overall record.
• Anna Karpenko, Ava Lung and Jade Rose will captain the Crimson side in 2023.
• The high-powered Crimson offense that scored 47 goals in 2022, returns all three of its top goal scorers, Ainsley Ahmadian (7), Hannah Bebar (6) and Josefine Hasbo (6).
• The Crimson finished the season ranked No. 2 in points per game (8.24), No. 2 in assists per game (2.71) and No. 6 in scoring offense (2.74 goals per game).
• The backline also returns several crucial pieces including the 2022 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, Jade Rose and wing backs Smith Hunter and Áslaug Gunnlaugsdóttir.
• The Branca Family Head Coach for Harvard Women's Soccer, Chris Hamblin and his staff retooled with seven new first-year players who will look to make an immediate impact on the team as its chases an Ivy League title.
• The Crimson posted a 6-1-1 record in nonconference play a year ago. The team started 6-0-0 in its first six games of the 2022 season.
• Harvard owns a 7-0-2 mark against Fairfield and a 6-26-1 mark against UConn. The Huskies and the Crimson, however, have split their past four matchups with the last match ending in a win for Harvard in 2019.
• The Crimson owns a combined 16-5-2 record against all other current BIG EAST schools.
• A trio of women's soccer players were named to position specific watch lists by the United Soccer Coaches earlier this offseason. Hannah Bebar (midfielder), Josefine Hasbo (midfielder) and Jade Rose (defender) all were honored by the organization.
• Hasbo, a native of Denmark, recently completed competition for her country's national team at the 2023 FIFA World Cup. Hasbo played in all four games for the Danish squad, helping the team secure a place in the knockout round. 

UP NEXT

Harvard women's soccer will be traveling to California this Labor Day weekend for a pair of games on the West coast. First, the team will meet Long Beach State (Friday, Sep. 1) in a rematch of last year's 2-0 Crimson victory. Harvard will then travel up the 405 to Malibu to battle Pepperdine on Sunday, Sep. 3.