CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – After a pair of thrilling contests in the Keystone State last weekend, No. 11 Harvard field hockey concludes the 2024 regular season at Berylson Field on Saturday, Nov. 2, as the Crimson host Cornell for a noon contest.

The match will stream live on ESPN+ and admission to Berylson Field is free of charge.

CRIMSON UPDATES:

• Harvard is 12-3 heading into the final game of the regular season, as the Crimson will begin the 2024 Ivy League Tournament next weekend as the No. 2 seed with a 5-1 record in conference action.
• In this week's Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Coaches' Poll, the Crimson held steady at the No. 11 spot, as Harvard is No. 10 in the NCAA's RPI Rankings. Both rankings are the highest marks in the Ivy League.
• The Crimson started last weekend with a dramatic 2-1 victory at Penn, securing Harvard's spot in the 2024 Ivy League Tournament. After sophomore midfielder Lara Beekhuis opened the scoring in the first quarter, Penn leveled the scoreboard in the third quarter. With just seven seconds left in the contest, sophomore forward Sage Piekarski orchestrated a heroic moment with the game-winning goal.
• On the Main Line, a stellar defensive showing against the nation's top-ranked offense lifted Harvard to a 2-1 overtime win against No. 5 Saint Joseph's, as senior forward Lucy Leel netted both of the Crimson's goals.
• The victory against the Hawks marked the Crimson's first victory against a top-five opponent in the regular season since the 2018 season.
• With the two wins, Harvard ends the 2024 regular season with an 8-1 record away from home, the best road record in the Ivy League. The Crimson's lone road loss this season was a 3-2 defeat against No. 2 Northwestern.
• The Crimson own one of the nation's best attacks, as Harvard is tied for eighth nationally in goals per game (3.00) and is ninth in scoring margin (1.60). Harvard also leads the Ivy League in both categories.
• Harvard faced some of the best opponents in the nation across the 2024 season, facing seven teams ranked in the top-25 of the NCAA's RPI rankings, winning four of those contests (No. 21 Wake Forest, No. 15 UMass, No. 8 Saint Joseph's, No. 7 UConn).
• Head coach Tjerk van Herwaarden is in his 12^th season at the helm of the Crimson field hockey program, leading Harvard to a 143-56 record in his tenure.

SCOUTING THE BIG RED:

• Cornell is 6-8 this season with a 3-3 mark in conference play, as the Big Red is seeking a second straight trip to the Ivy League Tournament.
• Winners of its last three matches, Cornell kept its Ivy Tournament hopes alive in Ithaca last week, rallying from a 1-0 first quarter deficit to beat Brown, 3-2.
• Head coach Andy Smith is in his fifth season in Ithaca, as the former Pacific head coach owns a 46-36 record in his time with the Big Red.

SERIES HISTORY:

• The Crimson and Big Red will meet for the 50^th time on the field hockey pitch this Saturday, as Harvard leads the all-time series, 32-13-14.
• Harvard is 8-2 in the last 10 matches against the Big Green, including a seven-match winning streak that started in 2016.
• Last season's meeting saw Harvard earn home field advantage for the 2023 Ivy League Tournament with a 2-1 win at Cornell, as Beekhuis scored the match-winner with just two seconds left on the clock.

SENIOR SALUTE:

• The Harvard community will honor the Class of 2025 this Saturday, celebrating and recognizing nine amazing Crimson seniors for their hard work and dedication to the Harvard field hockey program.
• The Class of 2025 was a vital component to the Crimson's success over the past four years, amassing two Ivy League regular season titles, the 2023 Ivy League Tournament Championships, and Harvard's first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament Semifinals in 2021. Across four seasons, the Class of 2025 owns a 58-13 record on the field hockey pitch.
• Harvard field hockey's Class of 2025 includes goalkeeper and team captain Sofia Castore, defender Elle Freedman, midfielder and team captain Emily Guckian, midfielder Siena Horton, forward Megan Joel, forward Lucy Leel, midfielder Maddie Mullaney, midfielder Faith Schmidt, and midfielder Sara Silarszka.

WE LOVE LUCY:

• In her final collegiate season, Leel is orchestrating the best season of her Crimson tenure, logging career-highs in goals (7) and points (14).
• Over the last three contests, Leel has three goals, including both goals against No. 5 Saint Joseph's last weekend, picking up her 40^th career point in the process.
• In the Ivy League, Leel is tied for fourth in goals and is 12^th in points with 14.

BEEKHUIS' BIG YEAR:

• Beekhuis is enjoying a sensational second season with the Crimson, as she leads Harvard in goals (9) and points (19) this season. A native of Laren, Netherlands, Beekhuis is just one goal short of tying her tally from last season.
• One of the conference's top offensive threats, Beekhuis is second in the Ivy League in goals and is tied for second in points.
• Across 35 career appearances, 20 of them starts, Beekhuis has 19 goals, three assists and 41 points, averaging 1.17 points per game.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS:

• Dating all the way back to the 2016 season, the Crimson own a staggering 83 game winning-streak against unranked opponents.
• The last loss against an unranked foe arrived on Sunday, Sept., 18, 2016, a 3-1 loss against intrastate foe UMass.

CRIMSON CAPTAINS:

• Guckian and Castore are the Crimson captains this season.
• A two-time NFHCA All-American and two-time team captain, Guckian has five goals and 10 points this season, bringing her career point tally to 63, three points away from match Kathleen Young '19 and Elizabeth Jacobsen '16 for 10^th all-time in program history.
• Castore has 11 career appearances between the posts, as she saw action in Harvard's 9-3 win against Columbia on Friday, Oct. 11.

A GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY:

• On Saturday, Oct. 19, the Harvard field hockey community gathered to celebrate the program's 50^th anniversary.
• The Crimson own a storied legacy on the field hockey pitch, winning seven Ivy League regular season titles, the 2023 Ivy League Tournament Championship, as Harvard advanced to the 2021 NCAA Tournament Semifinals.

UP NEXT:

The Crimson begin its postseason journey next weekend, traveling to Princeton for the 2024 Ivy League Tournament. The semifinals take place on Friday, Nov. 8 with the final on Sunday, Nov. 10.

For all the latest on Harvard Field Hockey, follow the Crimson on Twitter (@HarvardFH)and Instagram (@harvardfieldhockey).