Last Friday, Brown (10-6, 4-3 Ivy) traveled to Cambridge to face off against Harvard (17-0, 7-0) in the semifinals of the Ivy League Field Hockey Tournament. In a matchup of two nationally ranked teams, the No. 3 Crimson overpowered No. 19 Brown 2-0, sending the Bears back to Providence and advancing themselves to the tournament final.
Despite trailing the Crimson by just two shots and dominating Harvard 7-4 on penalty corners, Brown couldn’t overcome Harvard’s early lead. The Crimson’s two goals in the first two quarters proved too much for the Bears to handle.
Sophia Clark ’29, a Brown field hockey forward, described Harvard as a “very consistent and clinical team” in an email to The Herald. “They mark very tightly, and so in order to get the ball, you really have to get timing and physicality correct.”
The game started cautiously, with neither team taking the offensive early on. There were a total of eight substitutions in the first few minutes, but no shots were taken. This stalemate was quickly broken as the teams battled for control on Harvard’s side of the field.
As soon as she gained control, Lexi Pellegrino ’26 was surrounded by several Harvard players. In a desperate attempt to capitalize on Brown’s position, she launched the first shot of the game. However, Crimson goalkeeper Linde Burger dove to the right, knocking the ball off course and out of the goal.
With the score still 0-0 and no further shots taken, it seemed the first quarter would end peacefully. But with just 40 seconds remaining, Harvard’s Martha le Huray made her move. Dashing toward Brown’s goal from the left, she was intercepted by Kate Siedem ’27, but Harvard didn’t relent.
Spotting her teammate Sage Piekarski directly in front of Brown’s goal, le Huray passed her the ball. Even with Brown’s defense clustered around her, Piekarski lofted the ball neatly into the goal, scoring the first point of the game.
“When given the chance, they will capitalize, and that is exactly what they did for both goals,” Clark wrote.
The Crimson carried their momentum into the second quarter, immediately taking the offensive. Within 90 seconds, Piekarski found herself with the ball again. Approaching from the right, she swiftly passed to le Huray.
The Bears charged at le Huray, but she had enough time to line up her shot and send the ball flying at the net. Luckily for Brown, goalkeeper Ellie Parker ’29 rushed out and intercepted the shot, preventing Harvard from extending their lead.
Just 12 seconds later, Harvard’s Lara Beekhuis took a shot at goal, but it flew too far to the right. Undeterred, she redeemed herself three minutes later.
Although teammate Fiene Oerlemans feinted and slipped past two Bears, Harvard was still unable to break through Brown’s defense. Resetting the ball to the middle of the field, the Crimson pursued the goal from the left. Sending the ball into the circle, Beekhuis picked it up and slammed it into the net, extending Harvard’s lead to 2-0.
Brown narrowly avoided a third goal with three minutes remaining before halftime. Oerlemans bounced the ball to Beekhuis in the center of Brown’s circle. Hoping to score her second goal, Beekhuis’s shot narrowly missed, veering to the right.
The final two quarters saw no successful goals despite multiple attempts by both sides. Sensing defeat with just 15 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Brown increased their offensive efforts, doubling their shots from the previous quarter to six.
Halfway through the quarter, Emily Jury ’29 rushed toward the Harvard goal and passed directly to Clark, who slammed the ball toward the net. Burger’s right leg kicked the ball off course, blocking Brown’s attempt to find the scoreboard.
Despite the loss, Clark remained positive about the team’s performance after the match. “I think the team played really well overall,” she wrote. “Everyone worked at 100%, and I am so proud and grateful to be part of a team that will give everything.”
With time running out and just over two minutes left, Brown saw a glimmer of hope in a penalty corner. Pellegrino, who had already taken two shots in the quarter, was passed the ball and positioned for her third and final shot of the game.
However, her shot went straight toward Burger, who deflected the ball away while dropping to one knee.
With all six of Brown’s shots missing the back of the net, the score remained 2-0 in favor of Harvard. The Crimson moved on to the Ivy League final, where they defeated No. 5 Princeton (15-3, 6-1) 2-1 to claim the tournament title.
Looking ahead, Clark reflected on the team’s outlook despite the defeat. “There are so many positives we can take away from the game and, of course, areas to improve, which I am sure we will work on in the year.”
https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2025/11/field-hockey-falls-2-0-to-harvard-in-ivy-tournament-semifinal
