CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – After toppling Cornell in a thrilling 2-1 victory last weekend on the road, No. 4 Harvard field hockey is back in Massachusetts this weekend for a pair of meetings against regional foes No. 20 Brown and UMass Lowell.

The Crimson and the Bears square off in a pivotal Ivy League contest on Friday, Oct. 17, as the two sides are set for a 6 p.m. meeting at Berylson Field, as Harvard heads to UMass Lowell for a noon showdown on Sunday, Oct. 19.

The contest between Harvard and Brown will air live on ESPN+, while the America East website will broadcast the showdown the Crimson and the Riverhawks.

CRIMSON UPDATES:

• Harvard is 11-0 heading into the weekend, as the Crimson is the only undefeated team left in the nation. The Crimson's 11-0 record also represents the best start to a campaign in program history. With a 4-0 mark in Ivy League action, Harvard is the only Ancient Eight side undefeated in conference play this season.
• The Crimson showcased its resilience and toughness on the road last week, as the Crimson outlasted Cornell for a 2-1 victory at Dobson Field. After taking a 2-0 lead with goals from sophomore forward Martha le Huray and senior defender Bronte-May Brough, Harvard held off a fierce Cornell comeback that saw the Crimson deny six Cornell penalty corners in the last minute of regulation.
• After combining for three goals, two assists and eight points in the wins against Cornell and Boston University, le Huray earned Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this season.
• For a fourth straight week, Harvard is at the No. 4 spot in the Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association's National Coaches Poll. The Crimson has now spent five consecutive weeks in the top-five of the Penn Monto/NFHCA National Coaches Poll, the longest streak in program history.
• In the latest NCAA Ratings Percentage Index release, Harvard holds the No. 3 spot, joined by Ivy League peers Princeton (No. 4), Yale (No. 10), Brown (No. 14) and Penn (No. 19) in the top-20 of the NCAA's RPI. Harvard finished the 2024 season at No. 5 in the NCAA RPI.
• With a win against Brown on Friday, Harvard will clinch a spot in the 2025 Ivy League Field Hockey Tournament.
• Harvard's captains for the 2025 season are senior midfielders Kitty Chapple and Fiene Oerlemans.
• Head coach Tjerk van Herwaarden is in his 13^th season at the helm of the Harvard field hockey program. A four-time Ivy League Coach of the Year, van Herwaarden owns a 158-67 record in his Crimson tenure, as he earned his 150^th career win in the 2-1 overtime triumph against No. 12 Ohio State earlier this season.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS:

• After starting the 2025 season with a 1-3 record, Brown brings a 7-3 record and a six-game winning streak to Cambridge this weekend.
• In a trip to the Keystone State last week, the Bears prevailed in a showdown with Penn, defeating the Quakers, 4-1.
• The Bears currently rank fourth in the Ivy League in goals scored (30) and are tied for second in goals allowed (11).
• Winners of its last three contests, UMass Lowell is 7-5 this season with a 2-0 record in America East play. At Wicked Blue Field, the Riverhawks preserved its winning run with a 2-1 victory against Vermont.
• Across three contests against Ivy League foes this year, UMass Lowell owns a 1-2 record, posting a 4-3 win against Dartmouth and dropping decisions against Brown and Yale.
• The Riverhawks currently lead the America East in goals scored with 43 this season.

SERIES HISTORY:

• Harvard and Brown will meet on the field hockey pitch for the 51^st time on Friday, as the Crimson lead the all-time series, 31-13-6.
• The Crimson own a 10-game winning streak against Brown that spans back to the 2014 season. The two programs met twice in 2024, as the Crimson earned a 4-0 win on the road as an overtime goal from Brough made the difference in a 1-0 win for the Crimson against Brown in the 2024 Ivy League Tournament Semifinals.
• Sunday's contest represents the eighth meeting all-time between Harvard and UMass Lowell, as the Crimson own a 7-0 record against the Riverhawks.
• The last meeting arrived in 2022, as Brough and Siofra Murdoch '23 each scored goals in the double overtime win at Berylson Field.

YOU SHALL NOT PASS:

• Led by Brough, Chapple and defenders Brooke Chandler, Marie Schaefers and Smilla Klas, Harvard boasts one of the best defensive records in the nation.
• Nationally, the Crimson rank third in goals against average (0.61), third in goals allowed (7), sixth in save percentage (0.821) and eighth in shutouts per game (0.45). Harvard also leads the Ivy League in each of these categories.
• Defensive excellence is a staple for the Crimson under the direction of van Herwaarden, as Harvard led the NCAA in goals allowed during the 2021 (9) and 2022 (18) seasons.

BURGER'S BIG YEAR:

• First-year goalkeeper Linde Burger is already making waves in her first season between the posts for the Crimson.
• A native of Heerhugowaard, Netherlands, Burger ranks third nationally in goals against average (0.61), tied for fifth in goals allowed (7), and is sixth in save percentage (0.816).
• Across the first 11 starts of her career, Burger owns five shutouts, as the school record for shutouts by a goalie in a single-season is 10 from Ellie Shahbo '23 in 2021.
• Burger shined in Harvard's 3-1 win against Princeton, tallying a career-high six saves.

A CAREER TO REMEMBER:

• One of the nation's top defensive talents, Brough is authoring a stellar collegiate career.
• An Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week selection earlier this season, Brough owns 25 goals, 12 assists and 62 points across 64 career appearances. In 2025,  Brough has scored five ands goals and has tallied 11 points.
• Brough is only the fourth student-athlete in school history to earn All-America status on three occasions. Brough is looking to become the second Crimson to earn All-America honors four time, as Bente van Vlijmen '20 did so from 2016-19.

RUNNING THE SHOW:

• Chapple, one of the Crimson's team captains this season, is a vital component for Harvard on both the offensive and defensive ends in the midfield.
• A native of Somerset, England, Chapple has started all 67 games of her collegiate career, tallying eight goals, 15 assists and 31 points during that time.
• Chapple is a three-time All-Ivy League honoree and garnered NFHCA Northeast All-Region First Team recognition in 2022 and 2023.

TOTAL TEAM EFFORT:

• Harvard's offense, which leads the Ivy League in goals scored (37), goal differential (+30) and scoring average (3.364), is showcasing its talent and depth this season.
• Eight different Crimson have scored multiple goals this season, as le Huray and junior forward Sage Piekarski are tied for the team lead in goals with eight each.
• Nationally, Harvard ranks 13^th in goals scored per game.

ROAD WARRIORS:

• Harvard field hockey is thriving in contests away from home this season.
• The Crimson owns an 8-0 record in away games this season, leading the Ivy League in those contests.
• Since 2021, Harvard is 35-8 in contests away from Berylson Field.

IRON SHARPENS IRON:

• The Crimson is testing itself against some of the nation's top sides this season.
• Harvard is 4-0 against ranked opponents this season, owning a +9-goal differential in those contests.
• In the NCAA RPI, Harvard is 5-0 against teams inside the top-20, scoring 15 goals in those contests.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS:

• Dating back to the 2016 season, Harvard is maintaining a 92-game winning streak against unranked foes.
• The last loss against unranked opponent arrived on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, a 3-1 defeat against UMass.
• Harvard is 7-0 against unranked teams this season.

UP NEXT:

Harvard takes on Columbia on Friday, Oct. 24 at Berylson Field before a highly anticipated contest against UMass on Sunday, Oct. 26.

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