CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – After a narrow defeat in its Ivy league opener, Harvard women's soccer will look to bounce back this weekend when it plays host to another Ivy rival in the Princeton Tigers. The Crimson (2-4-2, 0-1-0 Ivy) will look to bounce back against the Tigers (2-3-3, 1-0-0 Ivy) this weekend as it looks to level its conference record heading into a two-game road trip over the next couple of weeks. The Crimson will look to correct its course as it gets deeper into its conference season.
What to Know
The Matchup
Harvard and Princeton will meet for the 46
th time this Saturday when the Tigers make the trip up to Jordan Field. The Crimson hold a 28-15-2 record in the all-time series, but the Tigers had the last laugh, posting two wins over the Crimson a year ago. Harvard last posted wins over the Tigers in the 2023 Ivy League Tournament and in the 2022 regular season and the teams battled to a draw in the last meeting in Cambridge during the 2023 season. In the last five meetings, the sides are level with a record of 2-2-1 but the Tigers hold a slight advantage in scoring with an 11-10 lead.
Last Time Out
Harvard rode a two-match win streak into the Ivy League Opener last Saturday against the Dartmouth Big Green but could not find a goal in an eventual 0-1 loss. Despite being outplayed for a majority of the match, a 75
th minute goal for the Big Green lifted the team to its first win over Harvard in seven years. The Crimson outshot Dartmouth, 13-6, and held a 10-1 advantage on corner kicks but could not find the back of the net as it suffered just its second shutout of the season.
Scouting the Tigers
The Tigers (2-3-3) won their Ivy League opener last Friday night at Penn with Isabella Garces scoring an 11th-minute goal as Princeton outshot the Quakers 16-3 overall and 7-2 on goal with Cecilia Cerone getting the shutout between the posts. The goal was Garces's first goal of the season in her first start of the season in just her second appearance of the season after missing the season's first six games due to injury. It made Garces the team's seventh goal scorer of the season, with Zoe Markesini, who has been out due to injury since the Aug. 31 game against Syracuse, leading the team with two goals. Alexandra Barry, Nina Cantor, Ally Murphy, Pia Beaulieu and Sarah Houston have scored a goal apiece, and while Cerone (1-1-2, 1.53 GAA, .640 sv%) has played 528 minutes in goal, Sydney Romano (1-2-1, 1.41 GAA, .769 sv%) has played 191 minutes.
Individual History Against the Tigers
Harvard's roster hold plenty of experience against the Tigers, with fours players owning points in the series against the Ivy rival. Ólöf Kristinsdóttir is the only active Crimson player with a goal against the Tigers – which came in the 2023 Ivy League Tournament semifinals – but
Susie Long,
Erin Gordon and
August Hunter all have registered an assist in their careers against Princeton. Projected starting goalkeeper,
Rhiannon Stewart, has faced the Tigers twice in her career and owns 14 saves in the matchups. Stewart posted a career-best nine stops in one of the matchups last season.
On the Stat Sheet
- Harvard ranked 13th in the nation with its 7.25 corner kicks per game.
- Elsa Santos López ranks second in the Ivy League with three assists.
- The Crimson's 13.0 shots per game rank fourth in the Ivy League.
- Harvard has outshot its opponents, 104-80, this season.
- Rhiannon Stewart holds a 1.38 GAA and a .711 save percentage in 2025.
A Balanced Attack
- Individually, Harvard has displayed a balanced offensive output in 2025.
- Three student-athletes – Jasmine Leshnick, Lauren Muniz and Elsa Santos López – are tied for the team lead with five points.
- Leshnick and Muniz are tied for the team lead with two goals each.
- Santos López owns three assists which are most on the team.
- Eight players hold at least two points through eight games.
Defending Jordan Field
Harvard has played six of its nine schedule games on its home pitch this season at Jordan Field. The Crimson has impressed on its own turf under Coach Hamblin, sporting a 46-16-7 record in the last nine seasons. The Crimson has never had a losing record on its home turf in a season under Hamblin.
Up Next
After completing its seven-match home stand, the Crimson will be on the road for the next two weekends. First, Harvard will travel to Cornell for a match next Saturday (Oct. 4), which will be followed by a trip to New Haven to take on the Yale Bulldogs on Sunday, Oct. 12.
