CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – After a week-long break from competition, the Harvard Men's Soccer team will return to action, when it heads across the Charles River to battle the Boston University Terriers on Tuesday night at Nickerson Field. The Crimson (1-3-1, 0-0-0 Ivy) will take on the Terriers (2-2-3, 2-0-0 Patriot) in its final tune-up before Ivy League play begins this weekend.
 

What to Know

Series History Against BU

• Harvard leads the all-time series against Boston University, 28-17-10, in 55 meetings dating back to 1951.
• The Crimson won the first 10 meetings between the programs, outscoring the Terriers, 58-8, during that stretch.
• Harvard owns a 5-10-4 record in 19 road meetings against Boston University.
• The Crimson and Terriers have split their last 10 matchups with matching 4-4-2 records.
• Harvard owns a 2-1-2 record over the last five meetings.
• BU won last season's matchup, 3-2, at Jordan Field. Andreas Savva and Alejandro Palacio scored less than two minutes apart to erase a two-goal deficit before the Terriers responded with the game-winning goal.
• The teams played to 1-1 draws in 2023 and 2024.
• Harvard's most recent victory in the series came in 2022, when the Crimson earned a 1-0 result at Boston University.
• The Crimson's largest victory in the series was a 9-0 win in 1965.
• Harvard won the inaugural meeting, 6-0, on Oct. 6, 1951.

Scouting BU

• Boston University enters Tuesday's matchup with a 2-2-3 overall record and a 2-0-0 mark in Patriot League play.
• After opening the season 0-2-3, the Terriers have earned consecutive shutout victories over Army West Point, 4-0, and Navy, 2-0.
• BU is unbeaten over its last five matches, posting a 2-0-3 record during that stretch.
• The Terriers have recorded four consecutive clean sheets for the first time since the 2004 season.
• Boston University has scored eight goals while conceding four, averaging 1.14 goals per match and allowing just 0.57 goals per contest.
• Six of BU's eight goals have come during its two-match winning streak.
• Andrea Di Blasio leads the Terriers with three goals and six points. He has scored in consecutive matches and has recorded both of the team's game-winning goals.
• Lapo Romieri and Dylan Williams share the team lead with three assists and rank second on the team with five points apiece.
• Goalkeeper Ben Alexander has played all 630 minutes, recording 29 saves, a .879 save percentage, a 0.57 goals-against average and four shutouts.
• BU has recorded 80 shots, including 37 on goal, while its opponents have totaled 88 shots and 33 attempts on target.
• The Terriers are 1-0-2 at Nickerson Field this season and have yet to concede a goal at home.

Stats and Stuff

• Harvard has scored eight goals through five matches, averaging 1.60 goals per contest.
• The Crimson has generated 59 shots, including 27 attempts on goal, while earning 26 corner kicks.
• Harvard and its opponents have each recorded 26 corner kicks this season.
• The Crimson has put 45.8 percent of its shots on goal.
• Dylan Tellado leads Harvard with two goals and five points.
• Ben Kelly ranks second on the team with four points, recording one goal and two assists.
• Alejandro Palacio leads the Crimson with three assists through five appearances.
• Adam Poliakov has recorded team highs in shots (15) and shots on goal (seven).
• Gil de Souza has placed four of his six shots on goal for a team-best 66.7-percent shot-on-goal rate among Harvard players with at least five attempts.
• Jason Broome has played all 450 minutes in goal, recording 19 saves.
• Tim Langenbahn is the only Crimson field player to play all 450 minutes this season. Alexander Castel has played 444 of a possible 450 minutes. 

Touchline Trends

• Seven different Crimson players have accounted for Harvard's eight goals this season, showcasing the team's depth in the attacking third.
• Tellado is the only Harvard player with multiple goals, while Kelly, de Souza, Langenbahn, Shane Lonergan, Poliakov and Phoenix Wooten have each scored once.
• Ten Harvard players have recorded at least one point, including seven different goal scorers and six players with an assist.
• The Crimson scored the opening goal in each of its first four matches before New Hampshire became the first opponent to strike first against Harvard this season.
• Four different players have accounted for Harvard's four opening goals: Kelly, de Souza, Langenbahn and Tellado.
• Harvard has registered at least eight shots in every match this season, reaching double figures in three contests.
• The Crimson generated a season-high 15 shots against Massachusetts and recorded 14 attempts in consecutive matches against Providence and UConn.
• Harvard has scored five of its eight goals during the first half.
• Three Crimson goals have been scored by players who entered the match as substitutes. Tellado and Lonergan scored off the bench against Massachusetts, while de Souza did so at Notre Dame. 

Last Time Out

• Harvard last competed on the road at New Hampshire last Tuesday (Sep. 15) in a 2-0 loss to the Wildcats.
• The Crimson was able to generate scoring chances, but could not find the back of the net after eight shots and two shots on goal.
• Jason Broome made two saves in goal to backstop the effort.
• Adam Poliakov and Xavier Tanyi registered the Harvard shots on goal.

Setting the Tone

• Harvard has struck first in four of its five matches this season.
• Kelly opened the scoring against Massachusetts before de Souza gave the Crimson a lead at Notre Dame.
• Langenbahn scored in the ninth minute against Providence, while Tellado found the back of the net in the 10th minute against UConn.
• Four different players have accounted for Harvard's four opening goals.
• The Crimson has scored three of those goals within the opening 10 minutes.

Consistency is Key

• Harvard men's soccer is competing under the guidance of Head Coach Josh Shapiro for the sixth consecutive season.
• Shapiro is joined by assistant coaches Jordie Ciuffetelli and Bryan Harkin.
• The Crimson owns a 33-29-24 record under the current coaching staff.
• Shapiro has led Harvard to four consecutive top-four finishes in the Ivy League standings and appearances in each of the first two Ivy League Tournaments.

Up Next

Harvard will begin Ivy League play this Saturday (Sep. 26) with a road trip to Ithaca to battle the nationally ranked Cornell Big Red. The conference clash is slated to begin at 4:00 PM with all the action airing live on ESPN+.