Weekly Sports Preview: November 12–19Your weekly what-to-watch for Harvard Athletics.

The weather is getting colder, which means a new season for Harvard Athletics! While most fall sports have finished their regular seasons and are heading into post-season playoffs, winter conference play is already underway. It’s an exciting time for fans to watch their favorite teams develop early in the season.

Field Hockey (15–2)

On Friday at 12 p.m., No. 3 Harvard hosts No. 19 Old Dominion at Berylson Field. A perfect conference season earned the Crimson an automatic bid in the NCAA playoffs. Friday will be not only the first round of playoffs, but the first time Harvard has ever played Old Dominion. Harvard’s semifinal run last year was the first in program history, and the Crimson is now eyeing their first national title. Returning All-Americans forward Sage Piekarski ’27, midfielder Martha le Huray ’28, and goalkeeper Linde Burger ’29 will lead the Crimson’s effort in this make-or-break match.

Football (7–1)

On Saturday at 1 p.m., the Crimson plays the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. An automatic Football Championship Subdivision playoff bid is on the line for the Ivy League champion. With two games left, Harvard and Princeton are tied for the lead. Harvard has won the last five games against Penn, but the last three were by margins of three points or less—the Crimson must stay vigilant. Quarterback DJ Gordon ’28 will be a key asset, since he rushed for two touchdowns against Columbia in only his third game back from injury. It’s the last match before Harvard-Yale, so the team is naturally looking for a win to build the momentum.

Women’s Rugby (6–0)

Women’s rugby plays American International College in the NCAA tournament this Saturday at 1 p.m. The Crimson recently concluded an undefeated regular season and are now eyeing their fourth consecutive national title. It’s a rematch from earlier this season: on Oct. 30, Harvard met AIC in Springfield, MA. AIC started strong, leading 17–14 by halftime, but back-to-back tries from Josephine Mignone ’28 and conversions by Evie Eyers ’29 led the Crimson to a 38–24 comeback win. This time, Harvard will look to start explosively and get to the try line early.

Women’s Basketball (2–1)

Women’s basketball hosts Michigan State University for a 2 p.m. match dubbed “Aloha Sunday.” This is the second time Harvard has faced the Spartans, following a Crimson loss, and MSU is undefeated so far this season.

On Wednesday at 5 p.m., Harvard hosts Syracuse for their second power-conference match of the week. It’s part of the Atlantic Coast Conference double-header evening at Lavietes Pavilion, immediately followed by a men’s team match-up against Boston College. Guard Karlee White ’27 scored 25 points to lead the Crimson to their first victory of the season against Boston College on November 5, so she’s definitely one to watch heading into this high-stakes week.

Men’s Basketball (2–1)

On Friday at 7 p.m., Harvard heads to Washington, D.C., to face George Washington University. Harvard leads the overall series 5-3, but it’s been five years since their last meeting, and the Revolutionaries made it to the 2026 National Invitational Tournament. It will be a competitive non-conference match and will test the Crimson’s on-court strategy early on.

On Sunday at 1 p.m., Harvard plays American University. The Crimson have won just one of five games in this series, so this will likely be the week’s toughest game. First-team All-Ivy Guard Robert Hinton ’28 and captain Thomas Batties II ’27 have been critical to the Crimson’s success so far this season, and they will remain valuable matchups for this game.

On Wednesday at 8 p.m., Harvard hosts Boston College at Lavietes Pavilion. The Crimson has led this matchup in recent years, so this will hopefully be a lighter non-conference home match to reset after a challenging road weekend. It’s the second half of the Atlantic Coast Conference double-header at Lavietes, coming immediately after the women’s game against Syracuse.

Men’s Ice Hockey (3–2)

The Crimson are headed to Princeton on Friday at 7 p.m. It’s Harvard’s first conference road test under new head coach Rob Rassey and captains Michael Callow ’27 and Matthew Morden ’27. Harvard leads the series, and last year’s matchup had five Crimson goals by five different skaters. After an overtime loss to Yale on Nov. 7, this game gives the Crimson a chance to improve their standing in Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey rankings.

On Saturday at 7 p.m., Harvard plays No. 5 Quinnipiac. The Bobcats were ranked No. 1 in ECAC preseason polls, so this could be one of the Crimson’s toughest conference matches of the season. Back-to-back road games will further test Harvard’s endurance against one of the nation’s most dominant teams.

Women’s Ice Hockey (4–4)

Women’s ice hockey is headed to New York this weekend for back-to-back travel games. On Friday at 6 p.m., they play at Cornell. Last year marked the Crimson’s first victory in this series after a five-year slump, so they’ll look to carry that momentum back to the rink this year. They have the motivation—they are coming off a 3-0 shutout against No. 11 Yale, led by Carla McSweeney ’29—and will undoubtedly look to carry that energy into this weekend.

On Saturday at 3 p.m., Harvard plays at No. 8 Colgate. This will be a competitive opponent, and strong leadership from new captains Zoe Boosamra ’27, Kaley MacDonald ’27, and Gwyn Lapp ’27 will shape the outcome.

As we enter the busiest academic time of the semester, take a break to cheer on your favorite Harvard teams! From a double-header at Lavietes Pavilion to NCAA playoff matches, let’s keep the energy high for Crimson athletics this week.

Lucy Duncan ’28 (lduncan@college.harvard.edu) writes Sports for the “Harvard Independent.”