CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 4 Harvard field hockey's storybook 2025 season will continue in Durham, North Carolina next weekend, as the Crimson punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament Semifinals for the first time since 2021.

After a scoreless first quarter, Harvard struck first after sophomore Martha le Huray slapped a rebound into the cage off a penalty corner. le Huray now has 13 goals and 32 points this season, both career-highs for the All-Ivy League First Team selection.

Harvard controlled possession and contained the UConn attack for the entirety of the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal clash, as the Crimson outshot the visitors, 18-8. The Ivy League's Rookie of the Year, first-year Linde Burger was stellar between the posts, as she picked up four saves on the way to her ninth shutout of the year.

The Ivy League's most storied rivalry will take its grandest stage yet, as Harvard will face No. 3 Princeton in the NCAA Tournament Semifinals on Friday, Nov. 21. Push back is scheduled for noon as the contest will air live on ESPNU.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
The opening phase of play between Harvard (19-1, 7-0 Ivy League) and UConn (12-9, 6-1 BIG EAST) was fairly even, as each side produced attacking chances and maintained possession in the first 15 minutes of the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals. Harvard logged three shots in the first quarter, while the visitors recorded five.

The Crimson got on the board first in the second period of action. With 11:35 left in the first half, the Crimson turned to sophomore midfielder Lara Beekhuis, as her shot bounced off the Huskie's goalkeeper with le Huray waiting to slap the rebound into the cage for the eventual game-winning goal.

An All-Ivy League First Team selection, le Huray now has 13 goals and 32 points this season, both career-highs for the Teddington, England native.

Harvard took a 1-0 lead into the halftime break, as the Crimson took seven shots compared to the Huskies' six. Burger logged three saves in the first half, as the Crimson generated three penalty corners across the opening 30 minutes of action.

In the second half, the Crimson dominated the run of play and possession, as Harvard's stout defense shutdown UConn's offense in the third and fourth quarters.

The third quarter saw the Harvard fire off six shots off of three penalty corners, as the Crimson allowed just a single shot in the period. Just five minutes into the frame, senior defender Bronte-May Brough ventured her way into the circle, as she saw her shot drift just wide of the cross bar.

In the final quarter of action in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals, Harvard once again dictated the pace of play on both ends of the field. Harvard's defense secured the 1-0 win in the fourth, conceding just a single shot in the frame while the offense took five shots in the frame.

le Huray's goal in the second quarter would be enough, as Harvard clinched its spot in the NCAA Tournament Semifinals with a 1-0 win against UConn. Across the 60 minutes of play, the Crimson took 18 shots, half of them target, while holding UConn to eight shots. The Huskies only took two shots in the second half, as Burger picks up her ninth clean sheet of the year with four saves.

HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS:

• Harvard advances to the NCAA Tournament Semifinals for the second time in program history, as the first occasion arrived during the 2021 campaign.
• The Crimson is now 7-5 in the NCAA Tournament during head coach Tjerk van Herwaarden's tenure
• Harvard owns a +7-goal differential in the NCAA Tournament this season, the best margin in the field.
• With her goal against the Huskies, le Huray now has 13 goals and 32 points this season, both career-highs for the Teddington, England native.
• Burger picks up her ninth shutout of the year, just one shy of matching the school record held by Ellie Shahbo '23 from the 2021 season.

UP NEXT:

Harvard will square off against No. 3 Princeton with a spot in the 2025 NCAA Field Hockey National Championship on the line on Friday, Nov. 21 at Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. Harvard fans can purchase tickets here as NCAA Tournament Semifinal matches will air live on ESPNU.

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