CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Coming off a convincing opening night victory, Harvard men's soccer will now travel to the Midwest for another test against Notre Dame. The Crimson (1-0-0, 0-0-0 Ivy) will take on the Irish (0-1-2, 0-0-0 ACC) in South Bend in a non-conference clash. First kick is set for 7:30 PM with all the action airing live on ACC Network Xtra.
What to Know
Series History Against Notre Dame and the ACC
- This will be the first ever meeting between the two schools.
- Harvard owns an all-time record of 15-33-7 against current ACC member schools.
- The Crimson's last game against an ACC school was last season, when the side defeated California at Jordan Field, 3-1.
- Andreas Savva scored twice in the tilt against Cal, with Tellado also netting a goal.
- Prior to that contest, the Crimson's last ACC win came in 2016 against Boston College.
Scouting Notre Dame
- The Notre Dame Fighting Irish enter Monday's matchup with a 0-1-2 record. The side opened with a 3-1 loss at No. 22 Indiana before recording consecutive 1-1 draws against Northwestern and No. 8 Saint Louis.
- Notre Dame has scored once in each of its first three matches while allowing five total goals. The Irish have taken 31 shots, placing 10 on target.
- Fifth-year defender Vlad Walent and freshmen Michael Capretto and Tristan Tropeano have accounted for Notre Dame's three goals.
- Capretto leads the team with three points on one goal and one assist. He assisted Tropeano's 84th-minute equalizer against No. 8 Saint Louis.
- Junior goalkeeper Blake Kelly has played every minute in net, making 11 saves while allowing five goals.
- In 2025, Notre Dame posted a 9-7-4 overall record and a 3-3-2 mark in ACC play. The Irish earned an NCAA Tournament berth, defeating Michigan, 1-0, before falling at Akron by the same score in the second round.
- Notre Dame entered 2026 needing to replace its two leading goal scorers, Wyatt Borso and Mitch Ferguson, who scored five goals apiece. The Irish return eight of their 26 goals from last season, or 30.8 percent.
- Senior midfielder Nolan Spicer is the team's leading returning point producer after recording two goals, seven assists and 11 points in 2025. Spicer earned Third Team All-ACC honors, while Luke Burton added three goals and three assists during his freshman campaign.
Starting Strong
- Harvard opened its 2026 campaign with a stellar result against the RV Massachusetts Minutemen. The Crimson scored four goals and conceded only one in a convincing 4-1 victory.
- Four different goalscorers helped Harvard get to the total as Ben Kelly, Dylan Tellado, Adam Poliakov and Shane Lonergan all found the back of the net. For Lonergan, the tally went down as his first career goal.
- Sophomore goalkeeper, Jason Broome was solid in his collegiate debut, making four saves and allowing just one goal – a penalty kick strike – to a strong UMass side.
- The victory was Harvard's first on opening night since the 2022 season, Josh Shapiro's first game as head coach of the Crimson.
- The four goals is also tied for the highest single-game total from each of the past three seasons.
New Faces in Crimson
- Harvard University Men's Soccer welcomed six first-years to the program for the 2026 season as part of the Class of 2030.
- Barnas, de Souza and Engle each made their collegiate debuts against UMass.
- The four midfielders, forward and goalkeeper round out a class that has received recognition from around the league, region, state and nation.
Bringing Back the Firepower
- Harvard men's soccer will return a veteran lineup of players to its lineup in 2026 after graduating nine seniors this past May.
- The Crimson returns players that make up 96-percent of its goals, assists and points total from a season ago. That total is the highest in the conference and one of the highest totals in the NCAA.
- Harvard will also return 72-percent of the team's minutes from 2025, one of the highest totals in the Ivy League.
- Adam Poliakov - the team's leading scorer in 2025 - returns after a six-goal rookie campaign.
- Adreas Savva led the team with 13 points in 2025 and returns to captain the Crimson this Fall.
- Ben Kelly tied for the team lead with five assists last season and is back in the midfield this Fall.
Rookie of the Year
- Rising sophomore Adam Poliakov was honored with the Ivy League's Rookie of the Year award after registering six goals to lead the team
- The Englishman scored all six goals in a six-game stretch to end the season, scoring in all but one of the team's final six contests.
- A talented forward, Poliakov recorded his first career brace against Brown (Oct. 18), the difference in a 4-2 Crimson victory.
- Poliakov has now scored in three consecutive games and in six of his last seven contests.
Consistency is Key
- For the sixth consecutive season, Harvard men's soccer will be under the guidance of Head Coach Josh Shapiro with the help of assistant coaches Jordie Ciuffetelli and Bryan Harkin.
- The Crimson is 33-27-23 under the current coaching staff, who will look to help the team continue its upward climb in 2026.
- Shapiro has led Harvard to four straight top-four finishes in the Ivy League standings and two Ivy League Tournament appearances.
Savva, Tellado to Serve Team as 2026 Captains
- Harvard University men's soccer rising senior forwards Andreas Savva and Dylan Tellado are set to serve the Crimson as captains in 2026.
- This past season Savva earned Honorable Mention All-Ivy and CSC Academic All-District accolades after posting 13 points on four goals and five assists.
- In 2025, he led the team in points (13) and assists (five), while sitting in second in goals (four).
- For his career, Savva has played in 48 games with 31 starts, totaling 21 points on seven goals and seven assists.
- Tellado tallied 11 points on four goals and three assists in 2025, ranking second on the team in goals (four) and third in points (11).
- He has netted at least three goals in each of his first three seasons at Harvard. For his career, Tellado has played in 46 games with 31 starts, registering 26 points on 11 goals and four assists.
Freese '22 Shines on the International Stage
- Harvard University men's soccer alumnus Matt Freese '22 represented the Red, White and Blue on the world stage this Summer after being called up to the United States Men's National Team (USMNT) FIFA World Cup squad. Freese was the first HMS alum to represent his nation on the World's Biggest Stage.
- The Pennsylvania native started two games in net for the American side in group play, claiming two wins over Paraguay (June 12) and Australia (June 19) before resting in the team's final match against Turkey (June 25).
- In 180 minutes, Freese only needed to make three saves but anchored the defensive effort in two dominant showings by the United States squad.
- In the Knockout Stage, Freese helped the USMNT make history by defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina to advance to the Round of 16, where the run eventually came to an end with a loss to Belgium.
- Freese's name has already been added to the USMNT World Cup record book after his strong start in the 2026 World Cup. The goalkeeper's two wins are now tied for the most by an American goalkeeper at the World Cup and is just one win away from standing alone atop the record book.
Up Next
Harvard men's soccer will return to Jordan Field this Friday, when it hosts the Providence College Friars on its home pitch. Match time is set for 6:00 PM and all the action will air live on ESPN+.
