CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 8 Harvard field hockey hits the road this weekend, as the Crimson open Ivy League action this season with a trip to Dartmouth on Saturday, Sept. 21, as the match is scheduled for a 12 p.m. start. The next day sees Harvard travel further north for a showdown against Vermont. The contest against Vermont will stream live on AmericaEast.TV.

CRIMSON UPDATES:

• Harvard holds a 3-1 record entering Ivy League action, as the Crimson split a pair of matches against No. 19 UAlbany and No. 16 UConn.
• After last weekend's results, the Crimson slotted into the No. 8 position in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Coaches' Poll.
• In the first match of the weekend, the Crimson fell just short in a back-and-forth thriller against the Great Danes, as Harvard suffered its first defeat in overtime, 3-2.
• The Crimson bounced back on Sunday, picking up a key victory against the Huskies, 3-2.
• Sophomore forward Lara Beekhuis garnered Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week honors after netting two goals over the weekend, including the game-winning goal against UConn in the second quarter.
• A native of Laren, Netherlands, Beekhuis earns the honor for a second time in her Crimson career, as she leads the Ivy League in goals scored with three.
• In the early portion of the season, the Crimson attack is excelling, as Harvard leads the Ivy League in scoring with 12 goals.
• On the defensive end, Harvard is stellar, as the Crimson is tied for second in goals allowed in the Ivy League with five.
• Harvard boasts the best goal differential in the Ivy League, owning a scoring margin of +7 goal difference through the first four matches of the 2024 season. Nationally, the Crimson rank 12^th in scoring margin (1.70).
• Junior goalkeeper Tessa Shahbo is enjoying a solid start to the 2024 campaign, as she tied her career-high in saves with eight against UAlbany.
• Hailing from Surrey, England, Shahbo owns a goals against average mark of 1.29, third in the Ivy League.
• The Crimson hold a 2-0 record on the road this season, as Harvard finished with a 6-3 mark away from Berylson Field last season.
• Head coach Tjerk van Herwaarden is in his 12^th season at the helm of Harvard field hockey, as the four-time Ivy League Coach of the Year owns a 134-64 record in his Crimson tenure.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION:

• Dartmouth holds a 1-3 record this season, picking up its first win of the season in its last game against Sacred in Hanover, 3-2, as the Big Green owns a -10 goal difference in 2024.
• In 2023, Dartmouth finished in sixth place, posting a record of 2-5 in Ivy League action.
• Vermont is 1-4 this year, as the Catamounts will face UC Davis on Friday, Sept. 20 before hosting the Crimson. A goal in the first and third quarters vaulted Vermont to a 2-0 win against Wagner.
• The 2023 campaign saw Vermont finish 8-10, as the season ended in the quarterfinals of the 2023 America East Tournament against California.

SERIES HISTORY:

• Saturday's match is the 50^th meeting between the Crimson and the Big Green, as Dartmouth leads the all-time series, 23-22-4.
• Harvard owns a nine-game winning streak against Dartmouth dating back to 2014. In the meeting last season, as four different Crimson scored a goal in a 4-0 victory at Berylson Field.
• The Crimson own a 12-6 series lead against the Catamounts, looking to extend its winning streak to three against Vermont this weekend.
• This will be first the first contest between Harvard and Vermont since 2014, a match the Crimson won in overtime, 2-1.

CAPTAINING THE CRIMSON:

• Senior midfielder Emily Guckian and senior goalkeeper Sofia Castore lead the Crimson as team captains for the 2024 campaign.
• A two-time NFHCA All-American and two-time team captain, Guckian has one goal in four appearances this season, as she led Harvard in assists (11) and points (29) last season.
• Castore, a native of Houston, Texas, serves as team captain for the first time in her Crimson tenure. Castore has made 10 appearances in her collegiate career.

A GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY:

• Throughout the 2024 season, Harvard field hockey will celebrate its 50^th anniversary, honoring and recognizing the long standing excellence of the program.
• The Crimson hold a 408-359 all-time record on the field hockey pitch, winning the Ivy League title seven times, including the inaugural Ivy League Field Hockey Tournament last season.
• On Saturday, Oct. 19, Harvard field hockey will celebrate its 50^th anniversary during a match against Princeton.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE:

• Saturday, Sept. 21 – at Dartmouth (12 PM)
• Sunday, Sept. 22 – at Vermont (1 PM, AE.TV)

UP NEXT:

The Crimson stay on the road on Saturday, Sept. 28, as Harvard travels to Providence for an Ivy League contest against Brown at 1 p.m. Harvard returns to Cambridge on Sunday, Sept. 29, facing UMass at 2 p.m., as the Crimson host its annual Pride Game. Both contests will stream live on ESPN+.

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