The Secrets Behind Harvard Women’s Soccer’s Success

Despite starting the season with back-to-back losses, Harvard Women’s Soccer has been on a roll lately. Undefeated in its last eight games, including a historic victory over No. 6 Alabama, the team continues to stun.

After going 5–6–3 last season, the team seems to have put in the work to turn things around. Part of that turnaround was embracing the talent of their incoming class—and they are talented. Only 10 games into their college careers, many of the first-years are already racking up points. Two of Harvard’s four leading goal-scorers, Brooke Huleatt ’30 and Molly Vana ’30, are rookies. The class of 2030 has collectively scored 12 of the team’s total 29 goals so far. Huleatt’s prowess doesn’t stop at scoring. Topping the team leaderboard with seven assists, she also shows an impressive ability to create scoring opportunities for her teammates.

The newest members of Harvard Women’s Soccer have not only been assets offensively. Goalkeeper Olivia Busby ’30, a first-year hailing from Ontario, Canada, splits time in goal with sophomore Nicole Bidun ’29 of Brooklyn, New York. The two underclassmen have shown impressive proficiency in goalkeeping, with save percentages of .708 and .696, respectively. Busby and Bidun were also vital in Harvard’s win against Alabama, with Bidun racking up three saves in the first 11 minutes.

Beyond their on-field contributions, first-years are contributing significantly to the team’s culture. “They came in with a lot of quality on the field. It’s a really good class soccer-wise, but also just personality-wise,” senior captain Ólöf Kristinsdóttir ’27 of Reykjavík, Iceland, said in an interview with the “Harvard Independent.”

“They’ve been really receptive and open to feedback from the coaches and from us as veterans on the team, and I think that really helps and speaks to our culture as well,” added Anya Van Den Einde ’27, a midfielder from San Diego, California.

Adding new talent to a team’s roster can create rifts between young and veteran members. Fearing replacement, established players can feel threatened by the rookies and respond, even if unconsciously, with hostility. For Harvard Women’s Soccer, however, adding fresh talent has lit a fire under every player to strengthen their game. “With the freshman class being so good, everybody needs to step up too,” Kristinsdóttir said.

Turning back to the team’s riveting win against Alabama, Harvard allowed two goals in the first half but pushed back immediately to tie before halftime. Captain Anna Rayhill ’27 scored 19 seconds after Alabama’s second goal. Entering the game from the bench, Lauren Muniz ’28 scored the tying goal on an assist from sophomore Kennedy Belfon ’29. Despite allowing a third goal at the start of the second half, Huleatt and Kristinsdóttir both scored later to push Harvard into the lead.

Alabama quickly responded to make it 5–4, but Harvard’s defense put on an impressive show to maintain the lead. Defender Jasmine Leshnick ’27 placed the final nail in Alabama’s coffin with Harvard’s sixth goal. The victory over Alabama was a full-team effort that brought together veterans and underclassmen, as well as players who started on the bench and on the field, to do the job. This game clearly showed the team’s increased depth.

While the class of 2030 has certainly played their part, it is important not to underestimate the incredible impact of the team’s leadership on the turnaround. Kristinsdóttir clarified that the team’s standards center on supporting each other, rather than perfect play. “It has nothing to do with soccer,” Kristinsdóttir explained. “Everybody can be a good teammate.”

The women’s soccer team is especially intentional about fostering camaraderie. To create a more supportive environment, the seniors have made a large effort to do away with the rigid hierarchies common in college sports. “I feel like that’s a big thing in college culture; people don’t really listen to you unless you’re older. So it doesn’t matter how much experience you have; it has to be experience on the team to be valued,” Kristinsdóttir said. “But I feel like my class has eliminated that as much as we can this year. We’re very open. People can come and talk to each and every one of us.”

Van Den Einde echoed this sentiment, saying the team’s seniors focused on upholding the standard of support both on and off the field. “Whether it be helping with their classes or on the field if they are a little down off of the play. Just stay positive and encouraging them, so they can keep moving on and focus on the next play. I think we’re very good about that, and just picking each other up after mistakes,” she said.

The team’s closeness extends far beyond mutual support and respect; they genuinely love being together. “Even when we’ve had days off, you more than likely see a majority of us hanging out. Maybe we’re watching a movie or getting food together. We just enjoy each other’s presence,” Van Den Einde explained. “I think while the on-the-field stuff is so important, that can’t become so strong without having these deep, trusting relationships off the field.”

Many of the team’s seniors feel that this year’s team has a uniquely close bond compared to years prior. “I’ve always gotten along with all my teams, but there’s just such a different energy about this one,” said Susie Long ’27 of Sacramento, California. “We all really enjoy being around each other, and it makes practices and games so much easier and so much more fun.”

Van Den Einde agreed: “I think this is one of the closest teams I’ve ever been a part of, and I think that contributes to our success.”

Beyond fostering the team’s close bond, the seniors have also created a culture of belief, which was critical after the team started the season with two losses. “We know we can do better. And we’re going to do better,” Long added. That mindset shift led to their first win of the season: a 4-0 victory over Fairfield. The game was the first glimpse of the team’s talent, with goals from Leshnick, Huleatt, Vana, and Camila Reinaldo ’30, as well as shutouts from Busby and Bidun.

While listening to the scouting report on Alabama, some of the seniors sensed an air of nervousness. “We told everyone to come into one of the seniors’ rooms, and we just had a little meeting of our own,” Kristinsdóttir explained. They decided to focus on believing in each other and on the fact that, regardless of what the rankings said, they could win. “We knew we were the underdogs, and we’re just embracing that,” Kristinsdóttir said. “We just kept believing. The whole time we believed they were beatable.”

“We knew going into that game that it was winnable, and we had the right skills and answers to [match] what they were going to show us,” Van Den Einde agreed.

As they continue the season, the team believes their skills and commitment to each other will push them toward greatness. Last weekend’s 4-3 win against Princeton marked the beginning of Ivy League play. The Crimson will face off against the six other Ivy League schools in the coming months leading into Ivy League and NCAA playoffs.

“We all just want to work so hard for each other, and there’s also just such a competitive environment because truly there’s no weak link on the team,” Long said.

Cat Johnson ’30 (catjohnson@college.harvard.edu) is comping the “Harvard Independent” and found out that men played soccer while watching the World Cup.