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During the championship match of the Ivy League Tournament, the No. 3 Harvard field hockey team — which hoped to nab its third consecutive Ivy League Tournament title — battled against No. 5 Princeton with everything it had. In a dramatic rematch of last year’s final, the Crimson (17-1, 7-0 Ivy) fell just short, dropping a 2-1 nailbiter against the Tigers (15-3, 6-1 Ivy) to suffer its first loss of the season.
Luckily for Harvard, its historic 2025 campaign means the season is not over. The Crimson, which boasts the only perfect regular season record in Division I, proved it can compete against the best programs in the country, having already defeated eight ranked teams.
Due to its successful year, Harvard nabbed one of the eight available at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament, qualifying as the third seed, in which it will host the unranked University of New Hampshire. The Wildcats (12-6, 4-1 AE) won the America East championship to secure an automatic bid to the national competition.
The contest between Princeton and Harvard immediately proved itself to be a defensive battle. Neither offensive unit was able to gain a clear advantage early on, as both defenses locked down the midfield and prevented clear fast break chances.
The Ancient Eight foes have a tumultuous rivalry, as the two programs have vied for the first-place position within the increasingly competitive Ivy League. Last year, Princeton snagged the title of regular-season champions, though the Crimson defeated the Tigers in the Ivy League Tournament, snagging an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
This year, the roles were reversed as Princeton struck first halfway through the second quarter of play. After a physical flurry in front of Harvard’s net, the referees granted the Tigers a penalty stroke. Princeton’s sophomore Pru Lindsey was tasked with taking the stroke shot, and she was able to zip the ball past the Ivy League Rookie of the Year, Harvard’s Linde Burger, to give the visiting team a one-goal lead.
Spurred by the loud cheering from Berylson Field’s packed sidelines, Harvard nabbed the equalizer just before the halftime break.
Captain Fiene Oerlemans passed the ball to junior midfielder Lara Beekhuis, who dangled through a clump of defenders and unleashed a blistering shot past Olivia Caponiti, the Tigers’ goalkeeper. The Crimson faithful erupted into cheers as Beekhuis’ 11th goal of the season slammed into the back of the cage.
Early in the third quarter, the referees awarded the Princeton team another penalty stroke chance. This time, senior Beth Yeager, a member of the 2024 United States Olympic Team and three-time First-Team All-American, stepped up to take the shot for the Tigers.
However, Burger came up with a crucial save, blanking Princeton’s captain and leaping up in celebration as the Harvard team breathed a sigh of relief.
Merely two minutes later, though, due to two consecutive penalty corner opportunities, Yeager secured the go-ahead goal.
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The Harvard team refused to give up, pressing the ball relentlessly toward the goal. Oerlemans, Beekhuis, and junior forward Sage Piekarski led the pushes forward, fueled by brisk upfield passes from senior defender Bronte-May Brough. The Crimson’s other captain, midfielder Kitty Chapple, also helped to facilitate the charge, drawing oohs and aahs from the crowd as she deftly evaded an onslaught of Princeton defenders.
With just five minutes remaining in the game, Harvard’s Head Coach, Tjerk van Herwaarden, pulled Burger from the game and added freshman Lucy Barker as an additional field player, giving the Crimson a woman-up advantage.
Piekarski then made a heroic drive towards the net, asserting Harvard’s presence within the offensive circle. The Crimson’s intense pressure drew a series of penalty corner opportunities.
Sophomore forward Martha le Huray inserted the ball to Chapple, who dished it to Beekhuis. Beekhuis slid the ball to Brough, who nailed a shot toward the net. Brough’s shot was deflected off the foot of a Princeton defender before freshman Rosa Kooijmans tipped it onto the cage. The Tigers’ goalkeeper dove to make the save, sending the ball floating to le Huray, who one-timed it out of the air and into the back of the net.
The Crimson fans cheered wildly, but were shortly subdued by the referee’s whistle, who cited the kicked ball as a reason to blow the play to a stop. The goal did not count, and Harvard was forced to replay the corner.
Unfortunately for the home team, the Crimson was unable to capitalize on the second penalty chance, allowing the Tigers to squeak out the victory.
Although Harvard outshot Princeton 9-5, the final scoreboard read 2-1 in favor of the Tigers.
Despite the loss, three of the Crimson’s players, Beekhuis, Chapple, and Brough, were granted All-Tournament Team honors for their Ivy League postseason play.
Now, Harvard will look to rebound against UNH on Berylson Field on Nov. 14 at noon EST in the second round of NCAA Tournament action. If fans are unable to make it to Cambridge, they can tune in on ESPN+ to catch the do-or-die playoff game.
— Staff writer Isabel C. Smail can be reached at isabel.smail@thecrimson.com.
