Harvard Women’s Soccer Defeats UConn, Rounds Out Non-Conference Slate With Five Straight Wins

Harvard women’s soccer closed out its non-conference slate by extending its win streak to five games, defeating the University of Connecticut 2-0 on Sunday. With the victory, the Crimson extended its unbeaten streak to seven games, bolstering its momentum as it prepares to open Ivy League play next weekend.

The game against the Huskies solidified an astounding turnaround for Harvard (6-2-1), which began its season with two losses — including a heartbreaker against the University of Massachusetts where it conceded four goals after opening the game with a three-goal lead.

Since its clash with the Minutewomen, the Crimson has been undefeated, stunning then-No. 6 University of Alabama, scoring six goals in a game twice, and recording five shutouts.

The last time Harvard boasted a five-game win streak was in 2023, when it closed out the season as Ivy League Champions. The game was notable for UConn (2-2-3), too, as the Huskies have historically dominated the Crimson, winning 22 of its 28 previous matchups.

This season, Harvard finished with its best nonconference record since 2022, when it won six and drew one.

“In those first two games we lost, we knew that there were really good moments and we had quality, but we just didn’t piece it all together,” head coach Chris Hamblin said. “I’ve been very, very happy with the way the group has applied themselves in practice and also game to game, just getting better and stronger and stronger as we face different challenges.”

“To go on a streak like this, and for our senior class, this is the best non-conference record they’ve had in their four years. It really sets us up well going into the Ivy League,” he added. “But we also know the Ivy League is incredibly competitive, and it’s a brand new season, so we’re looking forward to that.”

The Crimson piled on the offensive pressure in the opening minutes of the game. Senior midfielder Jasmine Leshnick played the ball up to freshman Brooke Huleatt, who was waiting on the wing. The rookie chopped the ball to captain Ólöf Kristinsdóttir, but the Huskies reacted in time to make the point-blank save.

Six minutes later, Huleatt beat two players on the left wing and forced the goalkeeper to step off her line to confront her well outside the six-yard box. She passed the ball to fellow freshman midfielder Lou Ruffien, but the French international’s shot was just barely cleared off the goal line by a UConn defender.

Freshman forward Molly Vana had a chance of her own with 14 minutes remaining in the half, drifting in from the right wing and slicing inward to beat her defender — though the resulting bouncing shot forced UConn’s third save of the game.

Captain Írena Héðinsdóttir Gonzalez kicked off the scoring in the final two minutes of the first half.

After the Crimson comfortably cycled the ball through its players, freshman midfielder Camila Reinaldo found her counterpart Huleatt on the left wing. The Rifton, N.Y., native drove from the corner across the top of the penalty box but was tripped by the attacker as she crossed the boundary line, drawing a free kick.

Héðinsdóttir Gonzalez’s ensuing shot curled around the defensive wall, dinked off the goalpost, and found the back of the net. With its first free kick goal, Harvard has now scored from all three types of set pieces — including several penalty conversions and corner kicks.

Hamblin, who identified set pieces as one of three priorities ahead of the season, said the success reflected the work his players have put in throughout their Harvard careers.

“I remember Írena spent a number of hours in the bubble perfecting that in the winter months,” Hamblin said. “The work that these players put in does matter. The little details all add up, so it was great to see her get her first goal of the season.”

The goal capped off a dominant first half for the Crimson, which finished with eight overall shots and four on target — compared to the Huskies’ one shot on goal.

Just 15 minutes into the second half, Huleatt made it onto the scoreboard, but this time with a goal of her own.

Harvard’s seniors rotated the ball around on the right third of the field, before captain Anna Rayhill found enough space ahead of her defender and slid a ball parallel across the goal.

Huleatt, who is now tied with Kristinsdóttir as the team’s leading goalscorer with seven games apiece, received Rayhill’s feed and slotted the ball high into the net.

UConn won a free kick with six minutes remaining, a similar distance away from the goal as Harvard’s first-half conversion. Sophomore goalie Nicole Bidun tallied the save, though, tapping the ball over the net.

The Crimson finished the game with one of its most accurate offensive performances, landing seven of its 11 shots on target. UConn launched 14 shots at Harvard’s net and had seven corners to the hosts’ two, but only three of its attempts finished on target.

The Crimson also only played five of its field players as substitutes on Sunday — its lowest rotation thus far this season. In goal, Bidun secured two saves in the second half, while freshman Olivia Busby played the first half and notched a save just 12 minutes into the game.

“I’m very proud of them because when you go 0-2, it can go in different ways,” Hamblin said. “But the fact that they’ve come together and got three shutouts in a row, five wins in a row, is a real positive.”

Harvard kicks off its Ancient Eight play on Saturday when it will head down to New Jersey to face off against Princeton (4-3-1), the reigning Ivy League regular season champions and tournament runner-ups.

After missing out on the Ivy League Tournament last season for the first time in its three-year history, the Crimson will seek to extend its unbeaten streak to six straight games.

Harvard ranked fifth in the league’s preseason poll, while the Tigers topped it with 10 first-place votes.

Princeton fell to Syracuse 3-0 in its second game of the season but has since recovered and will head into its match against the Crimson on a three-game undefeated streak. Harvard tied the Orange 0-0 earlier this season before winning its last five matches.

Five Ancient Eight teams are entering conference play on at least a two-game winning streak, though the Crimson leads with its five-game streak followed by Dartmouth and Penn’s four straight wins.

“We’re going to treat every game with respect, and we’re ready to go into Princeton and bring our best. We’re looking forward to that challenge,” Hamblin said. “They’re a very good team, and we don’t want the Ivy League to be a new thing. We’re going to continue to do what we’ve been doing, and we’re looking forward to that.”

—Staff writer Uy B. Pham can be reached at [email protected] or on Signal at ubp.88. Follow him on X @uybpham.