CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The No. 4 Harvard men's lacrosse team will put its undefeated record on the line this weekend when it travels to Philadelphia to take on No. 16 Penn in its Ivy League opener. The Crimson (5-0, 0-0 Ivy) will battle the Quakers (3-3, 0-0 Ivy) in its first true road game of the season this Saturday with first faceoff scheduled for 1:00 PM. One of the hottest teams in college lacrosse, the Crimson will battle the surging Quakers in the first game of what is expected to be an exciting Ivy League lacrosse season.
 

Quick Hits

• Harvard improved to 5-0 last weekend with a 17-7 win over Michigan in a neutral site clash in Houston, Texas.
• The Crimson reached the 5-0 mark for the second time under Gerry Byrne and his staff. The team's best start under Byrne was a 6-0 run at the start of the 2024 season.
• The 2026 Crimson becomes just the seventh team to reach the 5-0 mark in program history.
• The matchup with the Quakers at Franklin Field will be the first true road game of the season for the Crimson.
• Harvard is 11-14 in true road games under the Frisbie Family Head Coach for Harvard men's lacrosse, Gerry Byrne.
• John Aurandt IV earned the Ivy League's Offensive Player of the Week award after collecting a career-high seven points and four assists against Michigan.
• Aurandt IV and Graham Stevens were named to the NEILA Team of the Week.
• Harvard ranks sixth nationally as a team in points per game with a 24.20 ppg average.
• The offense has averaged 9.0 assists per game which is the sixth-most in the nation and the best clip in the Ivy League.
• The Crimson has outscored its opponents 76-41 this season, the third-best scoring margin in the country (+7.0).

 

By The Numbers

0 – Goals allowed in the fourth quarter to Michigan (Mar. 7), the first fourth quarter shutout byt Harvard since 2023 (Bucknell)
1 - National Ranking for Offensive Efficiency, scoring on 39.8 percent of its possessions.
2 – Athletes on the Preseason Tewaaraton Award Watch List: Jack Speidell and Logan Ip
2 – Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week Awards for John Aurandt IV this season. 
3 - National Ranking for Scoring Margin this season (7.00)
4 - National Ranking for Harvard Men's Lacrosse
4 - Players lead the team in Caused Turnovers (5) (Wyatt Wiggins, Joost De Koning, Quinn Kelly, and Owen Guest)
5 – Players with double digit points or more this season: Jack Speidell (24), Teddy Malone (23), Nathan Cobery (16), Logan Ip (14), John Aurandt (14).
6 - Nathan Cobery's National Ranking for Shot Percentage (.550)
7 – Points for John Aurandt IV against Michigan, a new career high.
8 - Graham Steven's National Ranking for Goals-Against Average (8.34)
8 - National Ranking for Scoring Defense (8.20)
10 – Strength of Schedule ranking for Harvard.
11 – Teddy Malone's national ranking in goals per game this season (3.20)
13 – Goals Scored last time the Crimson faced Penn
17 - Goals scored against Michigan.
18 - Saves for Graham Stevens against Michigan.
27 - Ground Balls for Owen Umansky this season.
121 - Points as a team this season.
169 – Ground Balls for the Crimson this season.
 

In the National Rankings

• Harvard stayed at No. 4 in the KANE Footwear Inside Lacrosse Media Poll this week. The Crimson received one first-place vote in the poll.
• USA Lacrosse Magazine Rankings had Harvard positioned in the No. 4 spot for the third straight week.
• The USILA Coaches voted Harvard as the No. 4 team in the nation this week, the second highest ranking in program history and highest since 1990 (No. 3).
• In the NEILA Poll, Harvard stayed in the No. 1 spot this week.  

 

Quick Check on Penn

• The surging Penn Quakers come into the matchup with a 3-3 record and a national ranking of No. 16.
• Penn defeated the Villanova Wildcats last weekend (Mar. 8) in a 10-6 victory.
• Previously, the Quakers battled three top 10 teams in a trio of close losses against No. 7 Syracuse (8-9 (OT), Mar. 1), No. 2 North Carolina (9-11, Feb. 27) and No. 5 Georgetown (9-12, Feb. 14).
• The Quakers have defeated Villanova (10-6, Mar. 8), Delaware (14-6, Feb. 21) and No. 20 Albany (15-10, Feb. 17) to reach three wins.
• The Quakers average 10.8 goals per game and have allowed nine goals per game to its opponents this season.
• With an offensive pace of 41.7 seconds on average, Penn is one of the slowest offensive teams in the country.
• The quakers rank in the middle of the pack nationally with an offensive efficiency of 29.1 (39^th) and a defensive efficiency of 28.4 (32^nd).
• Penn averages 39.8 shots on goal and owns a shooting percentage of 27.2 on the year.
• On special teams, the Quaker man-up unit boasts a 45.5-percent success rate (5-for-11) and its man-down team has stopped opponents on 15-of-23 attempts for a success rate of 65.2.
• Penn is one of the best faceoff teams in the nation, winning 60.1 percent of its draws to rank 10^th in the nation.
• Junior attack Davis Provost leads the team with 21 points and 18 goals on the year. First-year Jackson Mather is the Quaker's top set-up man with eight assists on the season.
• Penn's faceoff success has been due in large part to SSDM Anthony McMullan, who leads the team with 24 ground balls.
• Mac Eldridge (48-of-80) and Ethan Costanzo (20-of-33) share time at the faceoff X.
• Sophomore Jack Pelot is the Quaker starting goalkeeper and owns a .565 save percentage and a 8.99 GAA through six starts.

 

Player History vs. Penn

• Jack Speidell leads the team in points (8), goals (6) and shots (17) against Penn. The junior also owns four ground balls and three caused turnovers in his two games against Penn.
• Logan Ip, Teddy Malone and Andrew Perry each own five points in three games against the Quakers.
• Graham Stevens secured the Win in his only meeting with Penn last season, making 7 saves and allowing only six goals in the process.
• Matt Baraco leads the team in ground balls against the Quakers with seven.
• Charlie Muller has caused four turnovers in his previous meetings with Penn, dating back to his rookie season with the Crimson in 2023.

 

Active Stat Leaders vs. Penn

• Points: Jack Speidell (8)
• Goals: Jack Speidell (6)
• Assists: Jack Speidell/Teddy Malone (2)
• Shots: Jack Speidell (17)
• Shots on Goal: Teddy Malone (11)
• Ground Balls: Matt Baraco (7)
• Caused Turnovers: Charlie Muller (4)

 

Crimson vs. Quakers - Series History

• Dating back to 1900, The Crimson and the Quakers have faced off 93 times, with the series almost evenly split.
• Penn holds the slight advantage, with a 46-45-2 record against Harvard.
• Under Coach Gerry Byrne, the Crimson are 1-3 against the Quakers, winning their previous meeting against Penn last year at Jordan Field.
• While playing on the Road against Penn, Harvard is 21-25-1. The Crimson's last victory at Franklin Field came in 2006.

 

Against the Ivy League

• Against Ivy League Opponents, Harvard is 170-230-1 in its history.
• Since Coach Byrne took over in 2020, the team owns an 11-13 record.
• Last season, the Crimson finished 4-2 in the Ivy League, which marked the first time it secured a better than .500 record in an Ivy League season since 2014 (5-1).

 

Lacrosse Reference Metrics

• Harvard is currently No. 10 in Lacrosse Reference's LaxElo rankings.
• Offensively, Harvard is the most efficient offensive team in the nation, scoring on 39.8-percent of its possessions.
• Defensively, the Crimson ranks 11th in the nation with a 23.7-percent defensive efficiency.
• Harvard ranks 4th in cumulative efficiency with a 42.8-percent mark in five games played.
• The Crimson ranks 5th with a 40.1-percent adjusted cumulative shooting percentage.
• According to Lacrosse Reference, Harvard owns the fourth-best strength-of-record (+1.29 Expected Wins) in the nation.
• Harvard ranks sixth in game control - a cumulative metric that shows how often a team in in control of a game - with a .752 clip.

 

At the Helm

The Frisbie Family Head Coach for Harvard Men's Lacrosse, Gerry Byrne, is in his seventh season at the helm of the program in 2025-26. The team has experienced success under Coach Byrne, posting a 38-24 record and a 11-13 mark in Ivy League action. Byrne has guided the Crimson to two NCAA Tournaments and last season helped lead the team to a spot in the Ivy League Tournament for the first time since 2016. Most recently, Coach Byrne made history, becoming the first head coach to lead his team to a win over a No. 1 ranked team in program history.
 

Offensive Firepower

Picking up where it left off in 2025, Harvard's offense – led by the Associate Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Neil Hutchinson – has continued to turn in impressive performances in 2026. The offense ranks inside the top 10 in the NCAA with a 36.4-percent shooting clip (3rd), 24.20 points per game (6^th), 9.25 assists per game (6^th) and 15.20 goals per game (5^th). Harvard has scored 76 goals this season, which is the fifth consecutive season the Crimson has scored 75 or more goals total through five games.
 
The Crimson has assisted on 45 of the team's 76 goals to give them an assist rate of 59.2.
 

A Game of Runs

In its current five-game winning streak, Harvard has shown its ability to pull away from its opponents by going on impressive scoring runs. Most recently in the game against Michigan, Harvard used a 13-2 run in the final 40 minutes of the game to pull away and post a 17-7 victory. The streak featured two scoring runs of six goals.
 
Harvard has now posted 10 scoring runs of four or more goals this season and has held opponents scoreless for 15-plus minutes four times. The Crimson defense held Michigan scoreless for 15-plus minutes twice in the neutral site game in Texas (Mar. 7).
 
Harvard's defense did not allow a goal to Michigan in the fourth quarter, the first team the team has shutout an opponent in the final frame since it did so to Bucknell in 2023.
 

Bullseye! 

Harvard posted a 50-percent shooting percentage against Marquette (Feb. 28) with 19 goals on 38 shots. The clip was the highest in a game since the 2023 season when Harvard scored 23 goals on 43 shots against Providence. It was just the fourth time the team has eclipsed the 50-percent shooting clip in a game since 2010.
 
This season, Harvard leads the Ivy League and is third nationally with a 37.1-percent shooting percentage.
 

The Crimson Cowboys Up In Neutral Site Victory over Michigan

Playing the program's first ever game in the state of Texas, Harvard men's lacrosse stormed past the University of Michigan Wolverines in a convincing 17-7 victory. The neutral site showdown took place at the Kinkaid School in Houston and saw over 2,000 local lacrosse fans come out to watch the matchup. Harvard used a 13-2 scoring run in the final 40 minutes of the game to race past the Wolverines and improve to 5-0.
 
John Aurandt IV led the offense with a career-best seven points and four assists while Graham Stevens posted yet another impressive performance in the crease, making a career-high-tying 18 saves to anchor the defense.
 

Strong Islander Leads the Way in Victory Over Marquette

An East Setauket native, Jack Speidell exploded in his return to Long Island this past weekend in the Crimson's 19-10 win over Marquette (Feb. 28). The junior captain led the team with a career-high nine points and seven goals in what became and offensive showcase for the Crimson.
 
After falling behind 5-1 in the opening quarter, the Crimson went on a 14-2 run that amassed most of the second and third quarters to grab a hold of the lead and take control of the game. The Crimson went on three separate 3-plus goal runs in the contest to improve to 4-0 for the second time in the past three seasons.
 

Down Goes No. 1

The Crimson made history at Jordan Field on Feb. 21, posting a 13-12 win over No. 1 Syracuse that represented the first victory over a No. 1 team in program history. Harvard went toe-to-toe with one of the nation's best for 60 minutes, eventually using a three-goal run late in the fourth quarter to earn the win. Sophomore attack Nathan Cobery capped off the run – that featured a pole goal by Sean Jordan – by providing the game-winning goal with under a minute left in regulation. Graham Stevens made a massive save on the ensuing Syracuse possession to seal win for Harvard.
 
The win represented the fourth top-10 victory for Harvard under Coach Byrne.
 

Johnny on the Spot

For the second time this season, Harvard men's lacrosse senior midfielder, John Aurandt IV, has been named the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week. The senior collected his second career weekly honor after leading the offense in Harvard's 17-7 rout of Michigan in Houston on Saturday.
 
Aurandt IV collected a career-high seven points (3g, 4a) to pace the offense against the Wolverines. The senior also dished out a career-best four assists, contributing to Harvard's 14-2 run in the final 40 minutes of the contest. The Michigan native reached the point total in just three quarters and scored his three goals on just five shots. The senior previously earned the Ivy League weekly honor after posting a then career best four points against No. 1 Syracuse in a thrilling 13-12 Harvard victory.
 
Aurandt IV is off to a strong start in his final season with the Crimson, posting 14 points with nine goals and five assists. Through only five games, the Brighton High School product is just 12 points away from his single-season high of 26 which he set in the 2025 season. 
 

The Crimson Shield

Through five games, Harvard has allowed just 41 goals to its opposition which represents the lowest total through five contests for the Crimson since 2009 (28 GA). The team has forced 86 turnovers and caused 37 of those turnovers this season in five relentless defensive efforts. Harvard has hit the ground often as well, grabbing 169 ground balls compared to only 135 by its opponents.
 

A Goal Parade at Jordan Field

Paired with a strong defensive showing, Harvard's offense was on fire in the Tuesday night matchup with Colgate (Feb. 17), tallying 17 goals in what became a goal parade at Jordan Field. The Crimson assisted on 15 of the team's 17 goals, which was the highest assist percentage in a game (88-percent) since 2018 (eight assists on nine goals against Holy Cross). Teddy Malone led the team with six goals, while Jack Speidell piled up six points with two goals and four assists. Nathan Cobery and Andrew Perry each recorded four points with two goals and two assists to factor in. In total, 12 different players recorded a point against the Raiders. It was also the ninth time the team has reached the 17-goal total under Byrne and his offensive coordinator, Neil Hutchinson.
 

Dominant Defensive Display Against Providence

The Crimson defense was relentless in the season opener against Providence, holding the team to only four goals on the afternoon and earning a 1-4 season opening victory. The total is tied for the fewest goals in a game since 2009 (two goals allowed vs. Presbyterian). Harvard has allowed four goals in a game six times since the two goal stand 17 years ago.
 
Harvard also shut out Providence for over 32 minutes of game action from the second quarter until the fourth quarter. The shutout streak was the longest in a game for the Crimson since March 9, 2019, when the team shut out the Friars for over 36 minutes in a 9-8 victory. It was the fourth Harvard has posted a shutout streak of 25 minutes or longer under Byrne.
 
The team also allowed only one goal in the second half to the Friars, the first time the team has accomplished the feat since a 14-7 win over Dartmouth in 2017. The Crimson held the Friars to a 12.1-percent offensive efficiency rating, the second lowest in a game for Harvard since 2016.
 

Teddy Too Tough

Senior attack Teddy Malone earned his third career Ivy League Weekly Honor after being voted at the conference's Player of the Week (Feb. 16). The Haverford School product logged six points on four goals and two assists against the Friars to lead the team in all three categories. A Delaware native, Malone posted two ground balls to contribute defensively. Malone posted a 60-percent goal contribution clip, factoring in on six of the Crimson's 10 goals in the game against Providence. That percentage is the highest in a game for a Harvard player since 2018, when Morgan Cheek '18 notched 13 points on 19 Crimson goals against Boston University.
 

Spidey Senses

One of the most talented attackmen in the Ivy League, Jack Speidell is picking up where he left off in 2025. In his past two games, Speidell has collected 14 points with 11 goals and three assists. The St. Anthony's product produced a nine-point outburst against Marquette (Feb. 28) the highest total for a Crimson player since Sam King '25 reached the same total in the 2025 matchup against Marquette.
 
The junior has already logged 24 points on the year after posting 59 a season ago. His goal total of 46 was the most by a sophomore in program history and stands as the eighth-highest total in a season in team history. A dynamic playmaker, Speidell has shown off his ability as a distributor this season, leading the team with nine assists through five games. A Team 91 LI alum, Speidell now owns 24 points on the year and ranks 10^th in the nation and first in the Ivy League with 4.8 points per game.  
 

At the Faceoff X

Junior Owen Umansky has taken over as the primary faceoff specialist for Harvard this season and is off to a strong start in 2026. Umansky owns a .470 faceoff percentage after going 54-for-115 in the first five games of the season. The New Hampshire native also leads the team with 27 ground balls on the year and has caused two turnovers for the Crimson. Against Syracuse (Feb. 21), Umansky went toe-to-toe with 2025 All-American John Mullen, and won eight faceoffs in the battle at the X.
 

Stevens Locking Down the Cage

Sophomore goalkeeper, Graham Stevens, was on a roll in the win over Michigan (Mar. 7) making a career-high-tying 18 saves in the cage. Stevens' strong play sparked the team during its 14-2 run in the final 40 minutes of the contest and featured eight saves in the final quarter.
 
The New Jersey native had one of the best games of his young career against Syracuse two weeks ago, making 14 saves and allowing 12 goals to the former No. 1 team in the nation. Stevens currently ranks in the top 10 nationally in GAA (8.34, 8th) and save percentage (.590, 9th).
 
The creaseminder previously made eight saves in the win over Marquette (Feb. 28), posted an 11-save performance against Colgate (Feb. 17) and an eight-save, four goals allowed effort against Providence (Feb. 14). The goals allowed mark against Providence was a career-best for the sophomore.
 

It's Not How You Start

The 2026 Harvard men's lacrosse squad recently became just the seventh team in program history to reach the 5-0 mark and just the fourth team to do so in the NCAA era. The other teams to accomplish the feat included the teams in 2024 (6-0), 2000 (5-0), 1990 (7-0), 1961 (10-0), 1913 (6-0 and 1885 (5-0).
 

Up Next

Harvard will be back at Jordan Field for the first time in a month next weekend to battle the Dartmouth Big Green. The Ivy matchup is set for 7:00 PM on Friday (Mar. 20) under the lights and will be streamed live on ESPN+.