CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 3 Harvard field hockey is looking to make more history to close out the 2025 regular season on Friday, Oct. 31, as the Crimson head to New Haven, Conn. for a 6 p.m. clash with No. 16 Yale. Harvard fans can stream the match live on ESPN+.

CRIMSON UPDATES:

• Harvard heads into the meeting with the Bulldogs with a 15-0 record, as the Crimson is the lone undefeated team in the nation.
• The Crimson made a statement with a 2-0 win against Columbia to begin last weekend, as Harvard secured the eighth Ivy League regular season championship in school history and the right to host the 2025 Ivy League Tournament with the triumph against the Lions. Fourth quarter goals from sophomore forward Emily Bronckers and senior midfielder Lara Beekhuis made the difference.
• Harvard closed out the weekend with a vital 1-0 win against No. 16 UMass in a rematch of last season's NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals. With a 0-0 scoreline heading into the fourth quarter, senior midfielder and team captain Kitty Chapple spotted sophomore forward Martha le Huray for the game-winning goal.
• With the win against the Minutewomen, Harvard extended its winning run to 15-straight matches, setting a new program record for the longest winning streak. The Crimson's 15-game winning streak is also the longest active winning streak in the nation.
• After five straight weeks at the No. 4 spot in the Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association's National Coaches Poll, Harvard moved up to the No. 3 spot, representing the highest ranking in program history. Harvard has spent seven consecutive weeks in the top-five of the Penn Monto/NFHCA National Coaches Poll, the longest streak in school history.
• In the latest NCAA Ratings Percentage Index release, Harvard is ranked No. 2, as the Crimson is joined by Ivy League peers Princeton (No. 3), Yale (No. 10), Penn (No. 12) and Brown (No. 14).
• With a win against Yale this weekend, Harvard will compete the first undefeated season in both school history and Ivy League history, as the last Ancient Eight side that went undefeated was the 1974 Princeton Tigers, a season completed before the Ivy League started sponsoring field hockey in 1981.
• Harvard's captains for the 2025 season are Chapple and senior midfielder 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 162-67 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 BULLDOGS:

• Yale is 12-3 and 4-2 in Ivy League action heading into the home stretch of the 2025 regular season.
• Last weekend saw the Bulldogs push their winning streak to a six matches with a 2-1 overtime win against Penn, as junior defender Hettie Whittington netted the game winning goal on a penalty stroke.
• The Bulldogs saw their winning streak get snapped to end the weekend with a 2-1 defeat against BIG EAST foe Temple in the City of Brotherly Love.
• A NFHCA All-Mideast Region First Team honoree last season, senior forward Poppy Beales leads Yale in goals (12) and points (25) this season.

SERIES HISTORY:

• One of the Crimson's longest running rivalries, Harvard and Yale will meet for the 53^rd time on Halloween night. The Crimson leads the all-time series, 30-15-7.
• Last year's meeting saw Harvard topple Yale at Berylson Field, as the Crimson tallied the opening three goals thanks to strikes from senior forward Kate Oliver, Beekhuis and Lucy Leel '25, as Harvard earned a 3-1 win.
• Harvard owns a 11-game winning streak against the Bulldogs, as Yale last win in the series arrived in 2012.

YOU SHALL NOT PASS:

• Led by Chapple and defenders Bronte-May Brough, Marie Schaefers, Smilla Klas, Brooke Chandler, Charlotte Casiraghi and Paige Cornelius, Harvard boasts one of the best defensive records in the country.
• Nationally, Harvard ranks third in goals against average (0.58), third in goals allowed (9), fifth in save percentage (0.813) and sixth in shutouts per game (0.47). Harvard leads the Ivy League in all of these categories as well.
• Harvard has only allowed multiple goals in the same game once this season, as the Crimson allowed multiple goals in the same game five times last year.
• Outstanding defensive structure is a staple for the Crimson under the direction of van Herwaarden, as the Crimson led the nation in goals allowed in 2021 (9) and 2022 (18).

BURGER'S BIG YEAR:

• First-year goalkeeper Linde Burger is making an immediate impact in her first season between the posts for the Crimson.
• A native of Heerhugowaard, Netherlands leads the nation goalie winning percentage (1.000), ranks third in goals against average (0.58) and fifth in save percentage (0.809). Burger leads all first-year goal keepers in these three categories and is only one of seven keepers in the NCAA with a save percentage at or above .800.
• Across the first 15 starts of her career, Burger owns seven shutouts, as the school record for shutouts by a keeper in a single season is 10 from Ellie Shahbo '23 in 2021.
• Burger is a two-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week this season, earning the honor this week after posting clean sheets against Columbia and UMass. In a 3-1 win against Princeton earlier this season, Burger stopped a career-high six shots.

A CAREER TO REMEMBER:

• One of the best defenders in the nation, Brough is orchestrating a remarkable collegiate career.
• An Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week selection earlier this year, Brough owns 25 goals, 12 assists and 62 points across 68 appearances in her collegiate career.
• Brough is only the fourth student-athlete in school history to earn All-America status in three occasions. A native of Uttoxeter, England, Brough is looking to become only the second Crimson to earn All-America honors four times, 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 71 games of her Crimson tenure, tallying eight goals, 17 assists and 33 points in the process.
• 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 attack, which leads the Ivy League in both goals scored (48) and goal differential (+39), is showcasing its talent and depth this season.
• Eight different Crimson have scored multiple goals this season, as le Huray leads the team with 11 goals while junior forward Sage Piekarski is second with 10. This marks the first time since 2018 that multiple Crimson have scored 10 or more goals in the same season.
• le Huray, Beekhuis and Piekarski all have 20 or more points this season as well, as this is the first time since 2019 that three or more Crimson have tallied at least 20 points.
• Nationally, Harvard ranks 12^th in goals per game (3.20) and fourth in scoring margin (2.51).

ROAD WARRIORS:

• The Crimson is thriving in contests away from Berylson Field this season, as Harvard is a perfect 10-0 on the road in 2025.
• The Crimson's 10 road wins leads the nation, as Harvard is one of six teams in the nation with a perfect road record.
• In its 10 road wins, Harvard possess a +24-goal differential.

IRON SHARPENS IRON:

• The Crimson is testing itself against some of the nation's top sides this regular season.
• Harvard is 6-0 against ranked opponents this season, owning a +11-goal differential against ranked sides.
• In the NCAA RPI, Harvard is 7-0 against teams inside the top-20, tallying 19 goals in those contests.

UP NEXT:

For the first time since 2023, Harvard will host the Ivy League Tournament, as the semifinal round kicks off the postseason on Friday, Nov. 7.

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