CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – For the 49^th time in series history, Harvard and Yale will meet on the women's soccer pitch. This matchup, however, will be brought to the National stage as the Crimson (4-4-2, 2-1-0 Ivy) and Bulldogs (3-7-0, 1-2-0 Ivy) are set to square off in front of a national audience on ESPNU. The first nationally televised game for the Crimson in nearly a decade will see the sides jockey for position in the Ivy League standings as the season begins to wind down heading into late October.
 

What to Know

 

A Rivalry Renewed

The 49^th edition of the Harvard-Yale women's soccer rivalry will take place this Sunday (Oct. 12) and will see the sides battle for placement in the Ivy League. Harvard owns a 37-9-2 in the series and a 6-1-0 record under the Branca Family Head Coach for Harvard Women's Soccer, Chris Hamblin. In the last six contests, the Crimson has outscored the Bulldogs, 18-3 with four of the six contests being clean sheets for the Crimson. Harvard has also won the past three meetings held in New Haven and a 19-3-1 record in enemy territory, overall.
 

Last Time Out

The Crimson earned a massive 2-1 road result over the Cornell Big Red in its last match, moving to 2-1 in the Ivy League. Írena Héðinsdóttir Gonzalez and Jasmine Leshnick each had a goal and an assist to lead the Crimson offensively, while Audrey Francois also chipped in with an assist in the victory. Senior goalkeeper, Rhiannon Stewart, recorded six saves to hold off a late charge from Cornell, helping to secure three points in the Ivy League standings for the Crimson.
 

Road Warriors

Harvard picked up a massive 2-1 result in its last outing against the Big Red on the road, its first road victory of the 2025 season. In Hamblin's tenure, the Crimson owns an impressive 17-5-7 record in road Ivy League contests and has only once had a losing record in road Ivy games. The Crimson will play two more road games against Ivy League opponents against Yale (Oct. 12) and Columbia (Nov. 1).
 

Ivy League Tournament Race

Three weeks into the Ivy League women's soccer season, the race for the four Ivy League tournament spots is wide open. With a 2-1 record in conference play, Harvard finds itself in a three-way tie for second place with six points. The Crimson is just one point behind Columbia, who owns the top spot in the standings with seven points and a 2-0-1 record. This contest against the Bulldogs will have major tournament implications, with only three points separating the two squads.
 

Leshnick's Legend Grows

Jasmine Leshnick has a knack for scoring eye-popping goals as shown in the Crimson's last contest against Cornell. Early in the second half of the battle with the Big Red, Leshnick found herself unmarked nearly 40 yards from the net. The distance did not stop the defender from unleashing a screaming shot from distance that curled perfectly over the goalkeeper's head and into the back of the net. This was the third SportsCenter worthy goal for the junior in her career. One came a year ago against Northeastern, when she scored a similar goal from distance. The third was Leshnick's famous bicycle kick goal against Dartmouth in 2023 that went viral on social media and went down as the No. 1 play of the day in SportsCenter's daily countdown.
 

Breaking Down the Stats

A balanced scoring attack from the Crimson this season has resulted in seven players with three or more points through 10 games played. Jasmine Leshnick leads the team with eight points off three goals and two assists but is tied with Elsa Santos López for the lead in goal contributions, as the pair both own five on the year. A first-year midfielder, López currently owns six points with a goal and four assists. Ólöf Kristinsdóttir and Lauren Muniz are currently second and fourth on the team with six and five points, respectively.
 
As a team, Harvard is outscoring its opponents 13-12 on the season and outshooting them 121-104. The biggest discrepancy between Harvard and its foes is in the corner kicks category, where the Crimson leads 63-32. Its 6.3 corner kicks per game rank second in the Ivy League and 34^th nationally.
 

Player History Against Yale

Five members of the current Crimson roster own points in their careers against Yale, none more than Lauren Muniz, who owns a goal and an assist in the rivalry. Both came in last years matchup, which helped the Crimson seal its place in the 2024 Ivy League Tournament.
 
The other Crimson with points include Jasmine Leshnick and Ólöf Kristinsdóttir, who both have scored in their careers against the Bulldogs. Audrey Francois and Susie Long have also both tallied assists in the matchup. Rhiannon Stewart has made one career start against the Bulldogs in the 2024 matchup, where she made six saves and recorded a win.
 

Up Next

The Crimson will return to its home pitch next weekend to host the Brown Bears in what will be a key Ivy League contest. The rivalry is set to be renewed under the lights at Jordan Field at 7:00 PM with all the action streaming live on ESPN+.