Weekly Sports Preview: October 30–November 5

This weekend is Halloween, but that is not the only scary thing on the horizon for Crimson Athletics. As fall seasons wrap up and teams make their final pushes for playoff bids, some of the season’s highest-stakes games start this Friday. The pressure is on.

Football (6–0)

On Friday at 7 p.m., the Crimson plays Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire. With a six-game win streak, Harvard is the only undefeated Ivy League team this season after a 35–7 win over conference No. 2 Princeton on Oct. 24. Harvard has won the last four meetings against Dartmouth, so they’ll be looking to extend their win streak and take a step toward the Ivy League title. Much of the Crimson’s success this season has come from an oppressive defense that has held four opponents to 10 points or fewer. Linebacker Dorsey Benefield ’28 and defensive back Xaden Benson ’28 lead the defense in tackles and interceptions, respectively.

Men’s Hockey (1–0)

After opening Rob Rassey’s first season as Harvard head coach with a statement victory, the Crimson returns for back-to-back games against the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Harvard plays at home on Thursday at 7 p.m. before an away rematch on Friday at 7 p.m. As the final non-conference tune-up opportunity ahead of Eastern College Athletic Conference hockey, this rapid turnaround is designed to test the Crimson’s ability to adapt to their opponents and perform under fatigue. Last year’s leading scorers, Mick Thompson ’28 and Matthew Morden ’27, return, joined by an incoming first-year class that includes three NHL draft picks. Fans get an early look at a rebuilt program.

Women’s Hockey (3–1)

This weekend, the defending Beanpot champions open Eastern College Athletic Conference play with back-to-back games. Last year, the Crimson reached the ECAC quarterfinals before falling to Princeton. This is a chance to position themselves as legitimate title contenders with a statement win early in conference play. On Friday at 4 p.m., they play Clarkson University at the Bright-Landry Hockey Center. This matchup has historically challenged Harvard, with Clarkson winning every game since 2022, including a 9–1 win in 2024. With a high-scoring opponent on the slate, big saves will be needed from goalkeeper Ainsley Tuffy ’28, who boasted a conference-best 0.950 save percentage last season.

Then, on Saturday at 3 p.m., the Crimson plays their second home game of the week against St. Lawrence University. Harvard met St. Lawrence three times last year, with a single-point regular-time win, an overtime win, and a tie. Both games should be exciting, neck-and-neck matches for the defending Beanpot champions.

Women’s Volleyball (14–3)

Women’s volleyball plays Brown this Friday at 6 p.m. at the MAC. This rematch has high stakes—their first meeting this season on Oct. 3 ended Harvard’s program-record 11-game opening win streak. The Crimson will be looking for a statement comeback, led by athletes like Sofia Rossi ’29, who leads the team in kills and service aces.

On Saturday, Harvard plays Yale. The Bulldogs have long been a tough rival for the Crimson, with the fifth-set victory on Oct. 2 marking Harvard’s first win in this series since 2021. Harvard is fourth in the Ivy League, so a second win over conference leader Yale would help solidify its standing as it pushes for its first Ivy League Tournament bid since 2023. Ryleigh Patterson ’27 won their last meeting with a fifth-set kill and led the game in kills and aces, so her on-court prowess will be critical to a second Crimson win.

Field Hockey (14–1)

On Saturday at 1 p.m., field hockey plays Yale at Berylson Field. This is the regular-season finale, and Harvard—which already clinched its second consecutive regular-season Ivy League title—will look to end the season undefeated in conference play. The Ivy League Tournament is slated for Nov. 6-8, and the NCAA Tournament is Nov. 13-22. Harvard is ranked fifth in the country and is coming off a historic national semifinal run. This weekend will give them a chance to perfect their game ahead of a tough playoff run.

Cross Country

On Saturday, Harvard will race in the Ivy League Heptagonal Cross Country Championships in Attleboro, Massachusetts. Last year, Princeton took both the men’s and women’s titles, so Harvard is looking to end their run. Both teams have a good shot at a title, with Aelo Curtis ’30 leading the women’s scoring and Tam Gavenas ’29 leading the men’s. This is the Crimson’s final opportunity to tune up ahead of the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships on Nov. 13 and the NCAA Championships on Nov. 21.

Men’s Soccer (4–6–3)

On Saturday at 5 p.m., Harvard heads to Princeton for their penultimate regular-season match. Ivy League leaders Cornell have already clinched an Ivy League tournament berth after their Oct. 24 victory against Dartmouth, so it’s a tight race for the three remaining spots. Harvard is tied with Dartmouth for fourth in the conference standings, so a win this weekend is essential. Princeton has taken the last three games in the series, but the Tigers are having a difficult season with a 1–3–1 conference record. This could be a season-defining game for the Crimson.

Women’s soccer (9–4–1)

The Crimson is headed to the University of Pennsylvania this Friday at 4 p.m. With two games left in the regular season, Harvard is tied with two other teams for the final two Ivy League tournament spots. After a 1-2 loss to Penn last year that kept Harvard from its tournament goals, the stakes are high as the Crimson looks for a statement comeback. Penn is ranked sixth in the Ivy League, so this is Harvard’s chance to secure a tournament bid before facing conference leader Cornell next week. Ólöf Kristinsdóttir ’27, who is tied for the Ivy lead with 10 goals this season, will be a critical on-field asset.

Men’s Basketball

On Monday at 7 p.m., men’s basketball will make its season debut against MIT at Lavietes Pavilion. Harvard has dominated this series, with only four losses since the first meeting in 1901. This should give the Crimson a chance to ease into the season ahead of a series of non-conference road tests over the next few weeks. It will be head coach Tommy Amaker’s 20th season leading the Crimson. He has led Harvard to an unprecedented seven Ivy League championships. All-Ivy selections, Robert Hinton ’28 and Thomas Batties II ’27, are still looking good, and the incoming class of 2030 includes three guards, a forward, and a center. This gives Crimson fans a chance to get to know this year’s program as the season begins.

Women’s Basketball

Harvard makes their season debut on Monday, Nov. 2 at No. 17 University of Minnesota. For the rest of the fall semester, the Crimson will face a series of long-distance tests against high-ranked power-conference opponents before beginning Ivy League play. Harvard has played Minnesota only three times, most recently in 2016, so this is an early test against an unfamiliar Big Ten team. Harvard returns with last year’s leading point scorer and All-Ivy First Team selection, Karlee White ’27, alongside Ivy League Rookie of the Year Olivia Jones ’29.

The regular season is wrapping up for Harvard’s fall athletics. With conference playoffs just around the corner, this week is the final chance for many Crimson teams to secure their qualifying bids, and they need support most. Meanwhile, fans of winter sports are getting their first glimpses at Harvard’s rosters for the season. It’s a great time to tune in!

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