CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – A new season begins for Harvard women's soccer on Saturday, as the team will make the trip down to Providence to take on its rival, the Brown Bears. The Crimson (4-0-4, 0-0-0 Ivy) will begin the Ivy League portion of its schedule when it battles the Brown Bears (3-2-3, 0-0-0 Ivy) on its home grounds this weekend. The Branca Family Head Coach for Harvard Women's Soccer, Chris Hamblin, and his team recently completed an unbeaten run in its non-conference schedule with a 2-2 draw at the No. 10 Santa Clara Broncos last Sunday.
 
The Crimson - the reigning Ivy League Tournament Champion - will now turn its focus towards Brown – The three-time defending Ivy League regular season champion – in what should be another classic battle in the storied rivalry between the two schools.
 

WHAT TO KNOW

 

THE START OF A NEW SEASON

• After completing its out of conference schedule with an unbeaten record of 4-0-4, the Crimson now shifts its attention towards Ivy League play. The conference season begins this Saturday when the Crimson squares off with its rival, the Brown Bears, in Providence.
• The team is coming off a hard-fought 2-2 draw at No. 10 Santa Clara last Sunday (Sep. 22). It was the best result the Crimson has ever had against a top 10 team, with all other matches resulting in losses.
• The Crimson went unbeaten in regular season non-league play for the second time in program history – both during in the tenure of Coach Hamblin - the first coming 2021 when the team posted a 7-0-1 record.
• The non-conference schedule was highlighted by wins over Milwaukee, Boston University and Northeastern along with tying results against Northwestern, No. 20 Pepperdine and No. 10 Santa Clara.
• In eight seasons under Hamblin, the Crimson owns a 31-10-8 Ivy League record and won five of seven conference games in each of the past four seasons dating back to 2019.

 

IN THE RANKINGS

• Harvard comes into the contest with Brown owning and RPI rank of 71 through eight games played. The Ivy League is currently ranked No. 6 in the country in conference RPI.
• The Crimson ranks in the top half of the Ivy League in nearly every statistical metric, highlighted by its first-place rankings in win-loss-tied percentage (.750), shutout percentage (.500) and saves per game (4.88).
• Starting goalkeeper, Rhiannon Stewart, has been brilliant in 2024, ranking inside the top-40 nationally in shutouts (4) and save percentage (.864).

 

HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS

• The Crimson swept the Ivy League's weekly awards for the third consecutive week as Áslaug Gunnlaugsdóttir and Rhiannon Stewart took home the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week awards.
• Gunnlaugsdóttir burst back onto the scene in a big way after missing the entire 2023 season due to injury, scoring her first goals in 736 days against the Broncos. The last time Gunnlaugsdóttir scored in a game came during the 2022 season, where she led Harvard to a 2-2 draw at No. 17 TCU.
• Josefine Hasbo leads the team and is tied for the Ivy League lead in goals with five on the season.
• Eight different student-athletes have found the back of the net for the Crimson this season while 12 players have recorded a point.
• Rhiannon Stewart has started every game in net for Harvard, allowing only six goals and making 38 saves on the year.
• First-year, Lauren Muniz, is second on the team with five points off two goals and one assist.

 

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING

• Harvard is 172-73-29 in Ivy League play in program history and owns a 31-10-8 mark under Coach Hamblin.
• The Crimson leads the all-time series with Brown, 28-22-5 but is seeking its first victory over the Bears since the 2018 season.
• The Bears have won three of the past four matchups, outside of the tie between the two teams in the 2022 season.

 

SCOUTING BROWN

• The Bears enter non-conference play with a record of 3-2-3 and are coming off a 6-1 victory over Northeastern last Thursday (Sep. 19).
• Brown's other two victories came against Providence (Sep. 12) and Central Connecticut State (Sep. 5).
• Despite its record, Brown is still playing quality soccer in 2024, outscoring its opponents 13-7 on the season. The Bears also lead the shots battle with its opponents, holding a 102-61 advantage through eight games.
• Ella Weil leads the Bears with seven points in 2024, scoring three goals and dishing out an assist so far this season.
• Bella Schopp leads the goaltending effort for her team and holds a .80 GAA and a .800 save percentage this season. Schopp has only allowed six goals in eight games played in 2024.  

 

UP NEXT

Harvard will continue its Ivy League schedule next Saturday (Oct. 5) with a match against the Columbia Lions. The Crimson will return to Jordan Field to take on the Lions at 4:00 PM on ESPN+.