CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard women's soccer played its first home match of the season today when it hosted the Kansas State Wildcats in what would be the first meeting between the two schools in program history. Harvard opened its home pitch in the tilt, playing in front of nearly 500 fans at Jordan Field. After a 90-minute battle with the Wildcats, the game would end in a 0-0 tie.
Rhiannon Stewart led the effort on the backline by making eight saves while the defensive trio of
August Hunter,
Jasmine Leshnick and
Danicka Miller put forth a solid outing to help the Crimson get the result.
How it Happened
The opening minutes of the contest saw the teams go back and forth with most of the play concentrated in the midfield. After the sides settled in, each team had its first crack at a scoring chance with
Rhiannon Stewart making her first save 13' into the match and
Lauren Muniz putting a shot on goal that was saved at the 23' mark.
Anna Rayhill and
Jasmine Leshnick each had great shots turned away later in the first half as the game remained scoreless. Kansas State put one more shot on goal in the half with just 90 seconds remaining but
Rhiannon Stewart cleaned up the attempt to send the teams into the halftime break locked in a scoreless tie.
Stewart was tested again in the early going of the second half, making a critical save at the 48' mark to keep the Wildcats at bay. Her number was called again 10 minutes later as Stewart registered her fifth save of the game to keep Harvard in the contest.
Caroline Studebaker had a great chance on the Crimson counterattack after the team won a free kick in the Kansas State defending third. Studebaker crept in on the back post - where Leshnick delivered a pinpoint crossing pass – but could not get the proper footing on the ball that just crawled outside the post.
The pace started to pick up as the game moved into the final twenty minutes as each team looked for the go-ahead strike. Olof Kristinsdottir and
Audrey Francois each had shots on goal saves by the Wildcat keeper before
Susie Long – who had perhaps the best scoring look of the day at the 76' mark – took a shot that rolled just past the far post.
After the Crimson advance, the Wildcats put the press on and brough the fight back towards Harvard's net. The Crimson backline of
Danicka Miller,
August Hunter and Jasmines Leshnick was up to the test, helping the team hold off the Wildcats in the final sequences of the game. The trio and the goalkeeper Stewart – who made two more saves in the closing minutes to get her total to eight on the day – stopped Kansas State on four corner kick attempts in the final 10 minutes of action.
The game would end in a 0-0 draw after a dominant effort by both defenses. The Crimson moved to 0-2-1 on the season but stopped a red hot Kansas State team in their tracks as the group fell to 4-0-1 on the season.
Harvard Highlights
- Rhiannon Stewart made eight saves in the contest to lead the defensive effort.
- It was Stewart's eighth career shutout and first of the 2025 season.
- Six different Crimson players registered a shot on goal in the contest.
- August Hunter and Jasmine Leshnick each played the full 90 on the backline to help the Crimson get the clean sheet.
Up Next
Harvard will return to Jordan Field this Thursday (Sep. 4) to take on the Monmouth Hawks. The contest is set to start at 6:00 PM with the action taking place under the lights at Jordan Field.
