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Harvard women’s soccer (4-0-4, 0-0 Ivy) returned to the field last Sunday afternoon in its final non-conference game against the No. 10 Santa Clara Broncos (6-2-1, 0-0 WCC). Ultimately, the Crimson tied with the Broncos, 2-2, remaining undefeated and entering Ivy League competition looking strong.

On a beautiful sunny afternoon in Silicon Valley, the atmosphere was buzzing as the two collegiate powerhouses squared off for their first meeting in history, each prepared to improve on impressive seasons thus far at the end of their non-conference slates.

For this Harvard team, playing the Broncos was a unique challenge, as no one on the current roster had ever faced a top-10 team. The Crimson last took on a top-10 team during the 2016 season, the first season of Branca Family Head Coach for Harvard Women’s Soccer, Chris Hamblin’s tenure. The Broncos quickly demonstrated why they are so highly-ranked.

From the first whistle, Santa Clara attempted to put Harvard away early, drawing a penalty kick within only four minutes of game action. Santa Clara’s Kat Jordan was selected to take the shot while junior goalkeeper Rhiannon Stewart awaited in the goal. The starting goalkeeper made the correct impulsive decision to dive to her left side, but Jordan converted, with her shot squeezing inside the right post, past Stewart’s extended arms.

Harvard did not let the early goal discourage them, as the Crimson’s veterans stepped up. Senior forward Nicola Golen initiated an opportunity for the Crimson, as she unleashed the first shot on goal from right outside the box, which sailed right over the goalie and popped off the crossbar.

The second shot for the Crimson came shortly afterward, with a beautiful ball over the top of the defense from sophomore midfielder Anya Van Den Einde. Senior midfielder Josefine Hasbo could not get a full foot on the ball to shoot, as the Broncos keeper scurried to cover the ball. Both of these opportunities left Harvard still hopeful to tie the game and continue its momentum.

While Harvard continued to search for scoring opportunities on the offensive end, Stewart was determined to prevent another goal for the Broncos. The London native stopped a potentially easy shot on goal for the Broncos, kicking the ball out to her teammate at the 23 minute mark, followed by a ground ball shot from outside the box at the 27 minute mark.

Finally, the moment came for the Harvard attack to make its mark on the game. In only her third game back from injury, senior midfielder Áslaug Gunnlaugsdóttir connected on a slick goal which bested the Broncos keeper.

Harvard was patient in moving the ball up the field. Following a pass from her fellow Icelander, sophomore midfielder Írena Héðinsdóttir Gonzalez, Gunnlaugsdóttir made a quick move on her defender, right into a radiant left-footed strike from outside the box into the top right corner of the goal. It was a heartfelt moment for the senior, her first goal in 736 days.

It was expected that the half would end tied at one, as Gunnlaugsdóttir scored at the 37-minute mark, but the senior almost managed to subvert that expectation. With only 30 seconds left in the half, freshman forward Sarah Lloyd kicked the ball ahead for Gunnlaugsdóttir, but the attempt was deflected by the Santa Clara keeper. The tension in the air was palpable, as the teams entered the half tied, 1-1.

Opening the second half, the Broncos emerged from the locker room with a steely focus, looking to reclaim its earlier advantage. The Crimson, meanwhile, found newfound fire, starting with the early save from Stewart in the goal and a thrust from junior forward Audrey Francois, whose shot unfortunately found the hands of the keeper.

On the defensive end, despite not having senior starting defender Jade Rose due to a quad injury, Harvard’s defense was able to limit the Broncos' scoring opportunities. Santa Clara made three shots on goal early in the second half, but Stewart defended the goal tirelessly to bring her saves total to seven after only 60 minutes of play. However, at the 72 minute mark, the Broncos took the lead 2-1 due to a mishap by the Crimson, leading to an own goal.

As the clock ticked down, with 15 minutes remaining in the game, Harvard’s resilience that it had relied upon all season was now being tested yet again. Every pass was met with fierce resistance and every tackle earned with grit and determination, as Harvard surged to try to even the game at 2-2.

Harvard pressed forward relentlessly, hearts pounding with the anticipation rising. In the final minutes of the match, once more, the veteran Gunnlaugsdóttir provided a game-changer in the clutch for the Crimson, scoring the equalizer at the 86 minute mark.

Sophomore midfielder Susie Long led one last drive down the left side of the field, crossing the ball into the box where it was met by a Broncos defender. However, the ball was pushed back out to Gunnlaugsdóttir, who displayed her ambidextrous handling skills as she fired the ball past keeper Marlee Nicolos directly into the left side of the net, this time with her right foot.

The senior's second goal of the match tied the game and would mark the last goal in a 2-2 draw. The waning minutes of the game shockingly yielded no fireworks, in a game full of surprises.

“Santa Clara is definitely a great team and they created many chances that Rhiannon and our defense did well saving,” Gunnlaugsdóttir said, crediting her keeper and the defense playing behind her. “It felt really nice to finally be able to create something on the field and put in these two goals.”

Gunnlaugsdóttir was without a doubt the standout player of the game, earning Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week for her brace, the second of her career. This high-level of play is a trend for the senior against difficult competition as she similarly netted two goals during her sophomore year against No. 17 TCU, also a draw in the end.

The Egilsstadir native will look to savor the last days of this month, with one more contest before the calendar turns. Over the course of her career, the midfielder has been a September star, scoring all five of her career goals during that month.

On the other end of the field, Rhiannon Stewart set a new career high with nine saves in the contest, matching Gunnlaugsdóttir by winning Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week. Stewart has continued to improve with each game of the nascent season, posting career-bests in each of the past four contests.

“It was a good game against a highly ranked team,” the keeper said. “Personally, I hope my performance will allow me to go into Ivy League play feeling confident in our ability to defend the goal. The fact that the only goal we conceded in open play was an unfortunate own goal is a positive to take away — that we were defensively strong enough to hold our own against some of the best players in the country.”

Harvard walked away proving they can stand tall with the best, carrying its unbeaten record and newfound confidence into the start of Ivy League play this weekend. The draw against the Broncos, given the strength of the competition, was a statement for the team: the Crimson can compete with the best that collegiate soccer has to offer.

The Crimson’s first Ivy League matchup will be Saturday, September 28 at 7:00 pm on ESPN+ against the Brown Bears.

—Staff writer Chandler Piggé can be reached at chandler.pigge@thecrimson.com.