Box Score NEW YORK, N.Y. – Harvard women's soccer earned a critical result tonight with a 2-0 win over the Columbia Lions in New York City. The Crimson (6-3-1, 1-1-0 Ivy) picked up three points in league play and upset the No. 22 Lions with the result. Goals from Ava Lung and Hannah Bebar powered the Crimson to the victory.
 
Harvard broke down on the of nations best defensive units in convincing fashion to earn a key result in conference play.
 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Harvard made the trip down to Manhattan to battle the Ivy League's top side, the Columbia Lions on Saturday afternoon.
• The Crimson came into the contest with a 14-match unbeaten streak over the Lions including a 5-0 victory a year ago.
• The team started strong and fast, capitalizing on the first chance of the game to take an early lead. In the eighth minute, Smith Hunter controlled the ball up the wing and delivered a cross into the 18 that found the foot of Hannah Bebar. Bebar threaded a pass to Ava Lung, who turned and fired a shot into the bottom right corner to beat the keeper and put the Crimson up 1-0.
• The Crimson broke a 540-plus minute scoreless streak for the Lions, who had not allowed a goal since Sep. 3.
• Only five minutes later, Harvard threatened again, moving into the attacking third after solid team defense. In similar fashion, Hunter controlled possession on the wing before dropping a pass to Jade Rose who delivered the cross into the middle, finding Lung. Lung made a great play to control the pass, then finding Josefine Hasbo, who dumped the ball off to Bebar in perfect position. Bebar beat the Columbia keeper to the bottom right corner of the net to extend Harvard's lead and tally her 49^th career point.
• Ólöf Kristinsdóttir had two chacnes later in the half but both shots just sailed wide of the mark.
• The Crimson defense, led by August Hunter, Jade Rose and Talyor Fasnacht made it easy for starting goalkeeper, Anna Karpenko, in the first half, not allowing a single shot to reach the net.
• Bebar and Rose would each put shots on net in the closing minutes of the half, as Harvard held control of the match with a 2-0 lead after 45 minutes.
• After the break, the Lions looked to pressure the Crimson. Harvard did a great job of slowing down play and controlling possession in the early going of the second half.
• Anna Karpenko made a key at 72', collecting a shot to the far post to keep the sheet clean.
• The Crimson kept the Lions at arm's length for the remainder of the contest thanks to another series of great defensive plays.
• Harvard would hold on to secure a massive result, defeating Columbia, 2-0.

 

HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS

• The Crimson secured a 2-0 result to move to 1-1 in Ivy League play.
• Harvard broke Columbia's 540-plus long scoreless streak early in the contest, scoring two goals in the first 15 minutes of the contest.
• Ava Lung and Hannah Bebar netted the tallies for the Crimson, the third goals of the season for both student-athletes.
• Bebar, Lung, Josefine Hasbo and Smith Hunter all logged assists in the matchup.
• Harvard outshot the Lions 13-6 and led in shots on goal, 5-2.
• Anna Karpenko made two saves on her way to her seventh career shutout.
• The Crimson backline of August Hunter, Jade Rose, Talyor Fasnacht and Smith Hunter preformed excellently in the matchup, allowing only two shtos to reach the net and allowing zero corner kicks to the Lions.
• Írena Héðinsdóttir Gonzalez, Bebar, Hasbo, August Hunter, Rose and Smith Hunter all played the full 90 for the Crimson.
• Harvard now sits T-3 in the Ivy League table entering a critical two-match week.

 

UP NEXT

Harvard will travel back home to Cambridge to begin preparation for a quick turnaround. The team will play Dartmouth first on Wednesday, Oct. 4 at Jordan Field before travelling up to Ithaca, N.Y. to take on the Cornell Big Red. The Wednesday night tilt will be streamed live on NESN/NESN+ and the contest with the Big Red will be available live on ESPN+/