CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – After back-to-back shutout wins to start the 2024 season, No. 7 Harvard field hockey returns to Berylson Field for a pair of exciting non-conference matches. On Friday, Sept. 13, the Crimson square off against No. 19 UAlbany at 4 p.m. for the 2024 home opener, as the weekend concludes on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. with a match against BIG EAST foe No. 16 UConn. Admission to Berylson Field is free of charge and both matches will air live on ESPN+.

CRIMSON UPDATES:

• Harvard opened the 2024 season with two matches away from home last weekend, picking up wins against William & Mary and No. 18 Wake Forest.
• In the 6-0 win against the Tribe, five different Crimson found the back of the net, as the Crimson outshot the hosts 26-1, registering 23 shots on target.
• A first-year forward from Blaricum, Netherlands, Emily Bronckers enjoyed a stellar collegiate debut against William & Mary, scoring a pair of goals on three shots.
• Harvard wrapped up the weekend in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as the Crimson earned a 1-0 win against No. 18 Wake Forest, Harvard's first victory against a ranked opponent this season.
• After a scoreless first half, senior midfielder and team captain Emily Guckian scored the match-winning goal on a penalty stroke in the third goal.
• A two-time team captain, Guckian has 13 goals and 55 points in 58 collegiate appearances.
• Junior goalkeeper Tessa Shahbo excelled between the posts against the Demon Deacons, saving three shots to preserve the Crimson advantage. A native of Surrey, England, Shahbo has seven shutouts in her Crimson career.
• The Crimson begin a season 2-0 for a second straight consecutive season, as Harvard is 9-1 in its last ten matches dating back to the 2023 campaign, with the lone loss coming to defending national champions North Carolina in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
• Across two matches, Harvard has a +7-goal differential, the best mark in the Ivy League. The Crimson defense dominated against the Tribe and the Demon Deacons, as Harvard leads the conference in goals allowed (0).
• Head coach Tjerk van Herwaarden is in his 12^th season at the helm of the Crimson field hockey program, as he owns a record of 133-63 in his Harvard tenure.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS:

• UAlbany brings a three-game winning streak to Cambridge this weekend, as the Great Danes defeated Merrimack and Cornell last week.
• The defending America East regular season champions, UAlbany is 0-1 in against ranked opponents this season, losing its 2024 season opener against No. 14 Ohio State.
• Undefeated with a record of 4-0, UConn outscored its opponents 8-2 last week, defeating Cornell and No. 9 Rutgers.
• The Huskies hold a 2-0 record against ranked foes this year, taking down Saint Joseph's in the season opener and the Scarlet Knights.

SERIES HISTORY:

• Friday's contest will be the second meeting between the Great Danes and the Crimson. In 2019, the Crimson secured a 2-1 overtime victory in the Empire State against UAlbany.
• UConn and Harvard have met 35 times on the field hockey pitch, as the Huskies lead the all-time series, 5-28-2. The two programs first faced off in 1975, the second varsity season of Harvard field hockey.
• Harvard outlasted UConn in an overtime thriller last year, as Marie Schaefers scored the winner nine minutes into extra time, 3-2.

CAPTAINING THE CRIMSON:

• Guckian and senior goalkeeper Sofia Castore lead the Crimson as team captains this season.
• A two-time NFHCA All-American, Guckian led Harvard in points (29) and assists (11) last season.
• Castore, a native of Houston, Texas, lead the Crimson for the first time in her collegiate career. Castore has made 10 appearances during her Harvard tenure.

A GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY:

• Harvard field hockey is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this season, as the Harvard community will honor and recognize the long standing excellence of the program.
• The Crimson hold a 407-358 all-time record, winning the Ivy League title seven times, along with the inaugural Ivy League Tournament Championship last year.
• On Saturday, Oct. 19, Harvard field hockey will celebrate its 50^th anniversary during the Ivy League contest against Princeton, a rematch of last season's Ivy League Tournament final.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE:

• Friday, Sept. 13 – vs. UAlbany (4 PM, ESPN+)
• Sunday, Sept. 15 – vs. UConn (1 PM, ESPN+)

UP NEXT:

The Crimson kickoff Ivy League action in Hanover, New Hampshire on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 1 p.m., as Harvard faces Dartmouth. The next day sees Harvard head further north for a 1 p.m. contest against non-conference foe Vermont. The match against Dartmouth airs live on ESPN+, while Harvard fans can catch the Vermont game on America East TV.

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