CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 6 Harvard field hockey embarks on the 2025 season this weekend on the west coast, traveling to California for a pair of matches against Atlantic Coast Conference foes to kick-start the campaign.

The Crimson's season opener takes place on Friday, Sept. 5 at 9 p.m. eastern standard time, as Harvard squares off against California. Harvard concludes the weekend with a contest against Stanford on Sunday, Sept. 7, as first touch is slated for 2 p.m. EST. Both matches will air live on ACC Network Extra.

CRIMSON UPDATES:

• The 2024 season was a memorable campaign for Harvard, as the Crimson celebrated the program's 50^th anniversary with a 16-4 record, a second-consecutive Ivy League Tournament championship and the third trip to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals in school history.
• With 16 wins last season, the Crimson were one victory away from matching the program record for wins in a season set by the 2021 squad.
• Earlier this summer, six Crimson earned spots on the National Field Hockey Coaches Association's Watch List. Senior Bronte-May Brough, junior Lara Beekhuis, sophomore Tilly Butterworth, senior Kitty Chapple, sophomore Martha le Huray and junior Sage Piekarski all gained NFHCA Watch List honors.
• With a mix of veteran talent and exciting young talent, Harvard boasts one of more experienced lineups in the nation. The Crimson return 10 starters from last season's 1-0 overtime win against Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament First Round.
• Chapple and senior midfielder Fiene Oerlemans are the Crimson's team captains for the 2025 campaign.
• Head coach Tjerk van Herwaarden enters his 13^th season at helm of the Crimson field hockey program. The 2023 Ivy League Coach of the Year, van Herwaarden owns a 147-67 record during his time in Cambridge.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION:

• Cal opened the season on the east coast last weekend, as the Golden Bears fell to Monmouth before toppling Delaware to wrap up the opening slate of contests.
• In its first season in the ACC, Cal posted a 7-10 record with a 1-6 mark in conference play. Sophomore forward Liz Klompmaker led Cal in both goals (15) and points (31) last season.
• Stanford kicked-off the 2025 campaign with a 1-1 record. The Cardinal dropped a 3-1 decision to No. 4 Maryland in the season opener and rebounded with a 1-0 win against James Madison. Stanford hosts Ball State on Thursday, Sept. 4 before taking on the Crimson.
• Another new addition to the ACC last year, Stanford concluded the 2024 season with an 8-9 record, going 2-6 in ACC action as well. Senior midfielder Star Horlock led Stanford in scoring with six goals, one assist and 13 points.

SERIES HISTORY:

• Harvard and Cal last met on the pitch in 2010, as the Crimson lead the all-time series, 3-1. The Golden Bears earned a 3-2 win in the last meeting in Berkeley in 2010.
• The Crimson and the Cardinal faceoff for the sixth time this Sunday, as Stanford holds the lead in the all-time series, 4-1. The two sides last met in 2019, as Stanford prevailed, 2-1, in a penalty shootout. Harvard is searching for its first win against Stanford since 1998.

 COAST-TO-COAST CLASHES:

• Since the 2021 season, Harvard owns a 4-3 record against opponents from the ACC, one of the nation's premier field hockey conferences. All seven of those opponents were ranked in the top-20 of the NFHCA's Coaches Poll.
• The Crimson's four victories against ACC foes since the 2021 campaign are the most in the Ivy League, as Princeton is second with three.
• Last year saw Harvard post two shutouts against both of its ACC opponents. Its second contest of the 2024 campaign, Harvard blanked No. 18 Wake Forest, 1-0, on the road. The Crimson advanced to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals with a thrilling 1-0 overtime win against No. 11 Syracuse.

DEFENSIVE EXCELLENCE:

• A staple of van Herwaarden's tenure in Cambridge is strong defensive play from the Crimson.
• Last season saw Harvard rank in the top-10 in the nation in goals against average (1.05), save percentage (.800) and scoring margin (1.48). The Crimson also led the Ivy League in goals against average and scoring margin in 2024.
• Since the 2021 season, Harvard has ranked in the top-15 nationally in goals allowed every season, leading the nation in the category during the 2021 (9) and the 2022 (18) seasons.

A CAREER TO REMEMBER:

• An anchor for the Crimson's defensive strategy, Brough is orchestrating a remarkable collegiate career.
• Entering her senior year, Brough owns 20 careers goals, 10 career assists and 50 career points across 53 appearances. Last season saw Brough tally a career-high six assists.
• A native of Uttoxeter, England, Brough is only the fourth student-athlete in program history to earn NFHCA All-America honors three or more times. Brough is looking to become only the second four-time All-American in school history, as Bente van Vlijmen '20 did so from 2016-19.

DYNAMIC DUO:

• Beekhuis and Piekarski are one of the top attacking duos in the Ivy League.
• Last season saw the pair lead a Crimson attack that ranked first in the Ivy League in goals scored with 53 goals, marking the first time a Harvard team led the Ivy League in scoring since 2019.
• A NFHCA Northeast All-Region First Team honoree last year, Beekhuis led the Crimson in goals scored in 2023 and 2024, netting ten goals in both campaigns. With her overtime winner against Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament, Beekhuis became the first Crimson to record double-digit goals in consecutive seasons since 2019.
• A two-time All-Ivy League selection and a 2024 NFHCA Northeast All-Region Second Team selection, Piekarski has 17 goals, five assists and 39 points across 40 appearances and 27 starts.

 TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS:

• Dating back to the 2016 season, the Crimson is maintaining an 85-game winning streak against unranked opponents.
• The last loss against an unranked foe arrived on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, a 3-1 defeat against UMass.
• In 11 victories against unranked foes last year, the Crimson posted a +31 goal difference.

UP NEXT:

The Crimson return to Cambridge for its home opener on Friday, Sept. 12, hosting No. 13 Ohio State for a contest that starts at 5 p.m. Harvard concludes the weekend on the road on Sunday, Sept. 14, traveling to No. 14 UConn for a 1 p.m. meeting.  

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