CAMBRIDGE, Mass. –  The Harvard men's soccer team will look to get back on track this weekend when it hosts another regional rival at Jordan Field on Saturday afternoon. The Crimson (1-2-0, 0-0-0 Ivy) are set to take on the Connecticut Huskies (3-3-1, 0-0-0 BIG EAST) at 1:00 PM with all the action from Cambridge streaming live on ESPN+. Josh Shapiro and his Crimson will look to bounce back by earning a result over a strong Huskies team that was ranked in the national polls early in the 2026 season.
 

What to Know

Series History Against Connecticut

• Harvard trails in the series with the Huskies, facing an 8-16-7 deficit in 31 all-time matches dating back to 1946.
• Last season, the sides battled to a 1-1 draw after a late Phoenix Wooten goal in the 75^th minute tied the game. The Crimson only allowed two shots to reach their goal and seven shots in total during the match.  
• Harvard owns a 5-8-1 record against the Huskies at home and a 3-8-6 mark in games played at UConn.
• Harvard's most recent win in the series came on Sept. 23, 1992, when the Crimson recorded a 2-1 home victory.
• The Crimson is 0-5-2 over the last seven meetings and across the entire series, the Huskies hold a 61-40 advantage in goals scored.

Scouting UConn

• UConn is unbeaten over its last four contests, posting a 3-0-1 record and outscoring its opponents, 13-4, during that stretch. The Huskies played Sacred Heart to a 1-1 draw in their most recent outing.
• The Huskies have scored 15 goals while allowing 10, averaging 2.14 goals per match. Ten of their 15 goals came in victories over Western Michigan, 4-1, and Fisher College, 6-1.
• UConn has generated 100 shots compared to 63 for its opponents, including a 42-24 advantage in shots on goal. The Huskies also hold a 54-21 edge in corner kicks.
• Senior forward Elijah Langford leads UConn with six goals and 12 points, accounting for 40 percent of the team's goals. Langford has scored in five of his six appearances and has converted three of four penalty-kick attempts.
• Evan Pickering ranks second on the team with three goals, while freshman Lucas DePinho has scored twice. Seven different Huskies have found the back of the net this season.
• Redshirt junior goalkeeper Kyle Durham has started six of UConn's seven matches. The Huskies have yet to record a shutout but have allowed exactly one goal in each of their last five contests.
• UConn is 3-2-1 at home and 0-1 on the road this season. Saturday's match will mark the Huskies' first road contest since a 3-1 loss at Massachusetts on Aug. 23.

Against the BIG EAST

• The Crimson holds an overall record of 24-29-7 in its history against current BIG EAST member institutions.
• Josh Shapiro is 1-3-2 in his his career against BIG EAST foes.
• The winning result was a 2-0 win over Providence in 2025.
• The draws came against Seton Hall (2023) and UConn (2025).

Stats and Stuff

• Through two matches, Harvard ranks 27th nationally in shot accuracy, shooting at a 51.4-percent clip.
• The Crimson ranks third in the Ivy League with six total goals.
• Adam Poliakov ranks second in the Ivy League in shots on goal per game (1.67) and shot accuracy (62/5-percent) while also rankings third in shots per game (2.67).
• Alejandro Palacio ranks 23^rd nationally in assists per game (.67).
• Jason Broome's 4.33 saves per game is good for second in the Ivy League and 41^st nationally.
• The sophomore goalkeeper also leads the conference in total saves with 13.
• The Crimson has scored in each of its first three matches and is averaging 2.00 goals per contest. Harvard's scoring offense is top 50 in the country.  

Touchline Trends

• Six different players have accounted for Harvard's six goals this season, showcasing the Crimson's depth and versatility in the attacking third. Ben Kelly, Dylan Tellado, Gil de Souza, Tim Langenbahn, Shane Lonergan and Adam Poliakov have each found the back of the net.
• Nine different players have recorded at least one point, while five players have contributed an assist.
• Kelly and Tellado share the team lead with three points apiece, with both players registering one goal and one assist.
• Three of Harvard's six goals belong to players who have come off the bench in that matchup. Tellado and Shane Lonergan scored their goals off as substitutes against Massachusetts while de Souza scored his goal off the bench against Notre Dame.   
• de Souza has placed all four of his shots on goal, the best shot-on-goal percentage among Harvard players with multiple attempts.
• Harvard has consistently generated opportunities at Jordan Field, outshooting its two home opponents by a combined 29-21 margin.
• The Crimson has earned six corner kicks in each of its two home matches, averaging 14.5 shots and 6.0 corners per home contest.
• Nineteen players have appeared for Harvard this season, including 16 who have played in all three matches.
• Langenbahn and Alexander Castel are the only Crimson field players to play all 270 minutes. Goalkeeper Jason Broome has also played every minute and has recorded 13 saves, including a career-high six at Notre Dame.

Last Time Out 

• Harvard fell in a hard-fought, physical matchup against Providence last Friday (Sep. 4).
• The Crimson went ahead early after Tim Langenbahn scored his first goal of the season in the ninth minute. The goal came off a set piece that saw Alejandro Palacio float a ball into the 18 that was directed down by Alexander Castel and onto the foot of Langenbahn. 
• Providence score twice in the rest of hte half to take a 2-1 lead into halftime. The Friars tacked on one more goal in the second half to take a 3-1 result. 
• Despite the result, the Harvard offense created chances, logging 14 shots on goal in the match and six corner kicks. 

Battle in the Heartland

• Harvard was on the road in South Bend, Indiana for its last match when it took on the ACC's Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
• The Crimson performed well in the early stages of the contest, establishing pressure and creating multiple scoring opportunities across the first half.
• Gil de Souza scored the game's first goal – and the first goal of his collegiate career – in the second half to put Harvard on top.
• Notre dame punched back, scoring three goals in the final 30 minutes of the match to secure a 3-1 result over Harvard.
• Sophomore goalkeeper Jason Broome performed well in the match, saving six shots.
• Dylan Tellado has now recorded a point in back-to-back matches after registering an assist on the de Souza goal.  

Ben Kelly: Ivy League Player of the Week

• Senior midfielder, Ben Kelly, was named the Ivy League's Offensive Player of the Week after scoring a goal and registering an assist against Massachusetts in the season opener.
• His first career Ivy League weekly honor, Kelly now owns five goals, eight assists and 18 points in his career with the Crimson.
• Kelly's three points against UMass tied a career best for a single game, a total he hit one a year ago.
• It was also his third career game with two goal contributions. He reached the total in just 57 minutes of playing time.

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.

GOAL-iakov

• Sophomore Adam Poliakov was honored with the Ivy League's Rookie of the Year award after registering six goals to lead the team in 2025.
• 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 scored in three consecutive games before the Notre Dame match and owns goals in six of his last nine 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 33-28-23 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.

Up Next

Harvard men's soccer will face off against another regional rival this coming Tuesday (Sep. 18) when it heads North to battle the University of New Hampshire. Harvard and UNH will square off under the lights in Durham at 7:00 PM. All the action from the match will stream live on ESPN+.