CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 5 Harvard field hockey is getting ready for its first back-to-back of the 2026 season, as the Crimson will travel to Brown and host Boston University this weekend.

The Crimson and Bears meet at noon on Saturday, Oct. 17 in Providence, Rhode Island, as Harvard returns to Berylson Field on Sunday, Oct. 18 for a 1:00 p.m. contest against the Terriers. Both matches will air live on ESPN+, as the contest against Boston University will also broadcast on NESN.

CRIMSON UPDATES

• Harvard brings a 10-1 record into the upcoming weekend, as the Crimson's eight game winning streak is the longest active winning streak in the Ivy League and ranks second in the country.
• Last weekend saw Harvard improve to 4-0 in Ancient Eight action with a 4-1 win against Cornell.
• Senior midfielder and team captain Lara Beekhuis opened the scoring just three minutes into the contest, as Cornell would equalize on a penalty stroke six minutes later. Junior forward Emily Bronckers, senior forward Sage Piekarski and first-year forward Evie Smith combined for three unanswered goals to give Harvard the win.
• Harvard then followed Cornell back to Upstate New York for a road contest against No. 11 Syracuse.
• At J.S. Coyne Stadium, Harvard scored three goals in the first half on the way for a 3-1 win against the Orange. After scoring in the win against the Big Red, Piekarski, Bronckers and Beekhuis all found the back of the cage again in the win in the Salt City.
• The 2025 Ivy League Co-Offensive Player of the Year, Piekarski leads the Crimson in both goals (7) and points (16), ranking in the top five in the Ivy League in both categories as well. A native of Concord, Massachusetts, Piekarski has scored in four consecutive contests, the longest goal scoring run for a Crimson this season.
• In its last four games, Harvard is outscoring its opponents, 13-3, as the Crimson has a +17-goal differential this year.
• Beekhuis and junior midfielder Tilly Butterworth are the Crimson's team captains this season, as the duo have combined for nine goals, one assist and 19 points this season.
• Head coach Tjerk van Herwaarden is in his 14^th season at the helm of the Crimson. A five-time Ivy League Coach of the Year, van Herwaarden is 176-70 in his coaching career.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION

• Brown is 4-8 this season with a 1-3 record in Ivy League action. Last weekend saw the Bears earn its first conference win of 2026, taking down Penn, 4-2, at home. On Sunday, Brown dropped a 4-0 decision against UMass.
• Junior forward Kiersten Smith leads Brown's attack with five goals and 10 points this year.
• Winners in three of its last four matches, Boston University is 6-6 with a perfect 3-0 record in Patriot League action.
• Sophomore forward Lucy Johnson ranks first in the Patriot League with career-highs in both goals (12) and points (25).

SERIES HISTORY

• Sunday's contest at Goldberger Family Field represents the 53^rd meeting between Harvard and Brown on the pitch, as the Crimson leads the all-time series, 33-13-6. Harvard owns a 12-game winning streak against Brown.
• Last season saw the two sides meet twice at Berylson Field, as the Crimson won both meetings. Harvard took a 3-1 win in the regular season clash, as Piekarski and Beekhuis both scored in the first half.
• The Crimson lead the all-time series against Boston University, 20-18-1, as the Terriers are looking for its first win since 2015 against Harvard.
• Last season's showdown saw the Crimson tallied a season-high seven goals in a shutout effort defensively, as Piekarski and le Huray each scored a pair of goals.

LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES

• Harvard's defense of first-year Elin van Sante, senior Smilla Klas, junior Paige Cornelius and senior Charlotte Casiraghi are excelling at limiting shots taken by opponents this year.
• Across 11 matches, Harvard is only allowing 6.2 shots per game, allowing less than 10 shots on nine different occasions this year.
• This translating to success on the defensive end, as Harvard ranks eighth nationally in goals against average (0.87).

IMMEDIATE IMPACT

• First-years are already making an impact on the pitch for the Crimson this year.
• A starter in the attack for all 11 matches for Harvard, Smith scored her first career goal in the season opener against UMass Lowell and scored in back-to-back wins against No. 5 Wake Forest and Cornell. In the shootout triumphs against Northeastern and No. 8 Princeton, Smith successfully converted both of her chances.
• In the backline, van Sante is leading a Crimson defense that ranks eighth nationally in goals against average (0.87). After spearheading tremendous defensive efforts against Dartmouth and Northeastern, van Sante earned Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in her career. 

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

• The Crimson is thriving in true road contests since the 2024 season.
• Harvard owns an 18-game winning streak in away matches, marking the longest active road winning streak in the Ivy League.
• This season, Harvard is 3-0 on the road, owning a +7-goal differential in those contests.

IRON SHARPENS IRON

• Scheduling top-tier nonconference foes is a key principle for the Crimson this year.
• Harvard is 5-1 against teams in the top 25 of the NCAA's RPI rankings, the best mark in the Ivy League.
• The Crimson's highest-ranked win was a 1-0 triumph against UConn in September.

CARDIAC CRIMSON

• Prevailing in narrow decisions is a major theme for Harvard across the 2026 season.
• Harvard is 5-0 in one-goal games this season, as the Crimson went 6-1 in contests decided by a single goal last year.
• Earlier this season, Harvard defeated Northeastern and Princeton in consecutive matches via shootout, marking the first time in school history that Harvard won back-to-back games that went to shootout.

POLL POSITION

• Harvard is No. 5 in the latest iteration of the Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association's National Coaches Poll and No. 4 in the NCAA's RPI rankings, as the Crimson is the highest ranked Ivy League side in both rankings.
• The Crimson is in the top 10 of the Penn Monto/NFHCA National Coaches Poll for a 19^th straight week, representing the longest streak in program history.
• Harvard is 4-1 against ranked teams this year, highlighted with wins against No. 9 UConn, No. 8 Princeton, No. 5 Wake Forest and No. 11 Syracuse. The Crimson's win against the Demon Deacons was the first against a top five team since 2024.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

• Dating back to the 2016 season, Harvard is maintaining a 101-game winning streak against unranked foes.
• The last loss against an unranked opponent arrived on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, a 3-1 defeat against UMass.
• During the 2025 season, Harvard went 9-0 against unranked teams. This year, Harvard is 6-0 against unranked programs.

UP NEXT

Harvard heads to the Big Apple for a showdown against Columbia on Friday, Oct. 23, as the Crimson return to Cambridge on Sunday, Oct. 25 to welcome Monmouth.

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