CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – With its Midwest trip now in the rear-view, Harvard men's soccer is gearing up for its next home match against Providence. The Crimson (1-1-0, 0-0-0 Ivy) are set to battle the Friars (2-1-1, 0-0-0 BIG EAST) on Friday night under the lights at Jordan Field. Kick time is set for 6:00 PM with all the action airing live on ESPN+.
What to Know
Series History Against Providence
- Harvard leads the all-time series against Providence, 13-5, winning 72.2 percent of the teams' 18 meetings. The series began with a 3-2 Crimson victory in 1995.
- The Crimson owns a 3-2 record over the last five meetings, outscoring the Friars, 7-6.
- Last year, Tim Langenbahn and Dylan Tellado scored the Crimson goals in the victory.
- In the most recent meeting, Harvard earned a 2-0 road victory on Sept. 5, 2025. The result marked the Crimson's fifth shutout in the series and its first against Providence since 2004.
- Harvard is 7-2 at home against Providence, holding a 21-10 scoring advantage. The Crimson has won four of the last five meetings in Cambridge, including a 2-1 victory in the teams' most recent matchup at Jordan Field in 2018.
- Overall, the Crimson holds a 36-20 scoring advantage, averaging 2.00 goals per match while allowing 1.11.
- Eleven of the 18 meetings have been decided by one goal, with Harvard posting a 7-4 record in those matches. Three of the last five contests between the sides have been one-goal decisions.
Scouting Providence
- The Providence Friars enter Friday's matchup with a 2-1-1 record. The side owns victories over Sacred Heart, 4-1, and LIU, 3-2, along with a 3-2 loss at Quinnipiac and a 1-1 draw against Boston University in its last outing.
- Providence has scored 10 goals through four matches, averaging 2.50 goals and 17.8 shots per contest. The Friars have placed 33 of their 71 attempts on target.
- Six different players have scored for Providence, with Angelo Ventrella, Fernando Garcia Gil, Brian Garrepy and Sam Montalto sharing the team lead with two goals apiece.
- Ventrella leads the Friars with seven points on two goals and three assists. The sophomore has recorded a point in all four matches and scored the 82nd-minute equalizer against Boston University.
- Goalkeeper Ryan Carney has played every minute in net, making 21 saves while allowing seven goals. The redshirt sophomore owns a .750 save percentage.
- In 2025, Providence posted a 6-7-3 overall record and a 4-2-2 mark in BIG EAST play.
- Providence outscored its opponents, 23-21, last season while averaging 1.44 goals per match.
- The Friars return 60.9 percent of their goals, 23.8 percent of their assists and 49.3 percent of their points from 2025. Providence brought back both of its five-goal leaders in Montalto and Ventrella, while Montalto led the team with 13 points and earned Third Team All-BIG EAST honors.
Stats and Stuff
- Through two matches, Harvard ranks eighth nationally in shot accuracy, shooting at a 65.2-percent clip.
- The Crimson also ranks atop the Ivy League with five goals through two matches.
- Adam Poliakov is tied for ninth nationally in shots on goal per game, logging 2.50 per match in the first two contests.
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.
Your 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.
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 scored in three consecutive games before the Notre Dame match and in six of his last eight 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.
Up Next
Harvard men's soccer will have eight days to rest, recover and retool for a match against the Connecticut Huskies next Saturday (Sep. 12). The Huskies – who have received votes in the national polls this season – will come to Jordan Field to take on the Crimson with the start time set for 1:00. All the action from the regional showdown will air live on ESPN+.
