Weekly Sports Preview: September 17-24

Football is back! But that’s not the only thing happening in Harvard athletics this week. Look out for exciting season openers from tennis to cross country, and cheer on returning field sports as they close out non-conference play.

Field Hockey (3–1)

After a tough home loss to the University of Massachusetts Amherst last Friday, the Crimson field hockey team is back on the road for their Friday 4 p.m. Ivy League opener against Dartmouth. The Crimson have historically dominated this matchup—they have not lost to Dartmouth since 2013 (knock on wood), and their most recent match ended in a 7–0 shutout. The team has shown its strongest defense so far this season, so the matchup will test Harvard’s defense against Dartmouth’s offense.

On Sunday, field hockey will return to Cambridge to face Northeastern. While the series is close overall, with Harvard holding a 10–11 record since 2002, the Crimson have won their last six meetings. Expect returners Second Team National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-American Sage Piekarski ’27 and First Team Northeast All-Region honoree Tilly Butterworth ’28 to lead Harvard’s offense.

Women’s Volleyball (6–0)

This weekend, the Malkin Athletic Center will host the Harvard Invitational tournament, where women’s volleyball will play two matches. On Friday at 6 p.m., Harvard will face Providence College for just the third time ever. Though both previous meetups in 2012 and 2023 ended in victories for the Crimson, both teams have experienced a near-total turnover since they last met. Veteran players like Ali Farquhar ’27, who has posted career-highs in attacks and blocks this season, will be critical in securing a third consecutive win against an unfamiliar opponent.

On Sunday at 4 p.m., the Crimson will then play Sacred Heart. Another rare matchup, these two teams have not met since 2019. With Harvard holding a 3–2 series advantage and two completely new rosters, this game will give Harvard a chance to fine-tune its systems as it looks to extend its undefeated record. As the last game before Ivy League play begins, this will be a critical confidence builder as the Crimson look to secure their first Ivy League Tournament berth since 2023. Look out for libero Jordan Shelor ’30, who has already recorded several aces early in her career—notably, four at Northeastern.

Men’s Tennis

This weekend, men’s tennis will open their season with their annual Chowderfest home invitational tournament. After finishing as the Ivy League runner-up in each of the past two seasons, Harvard is looking to reclaim contention in conference play. This tournament, running from Friday to Sunday, will bring together teams from across the country, showcase new talent, and give returning players a chance to get back into the swing of things.

Saturday also marks the beginning of the men’s Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s All-American Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Two Harvard athletes have been named as automatic qualifiers for the singles main draw. Nationally ranked No. 25 Rohan Murali ’27 and returning Ivy League Rookie of the Year Nathan Blokhin ’29 will be part of the prestigious main draw, while fans can expect Harvard’s athletes in the pre-qualifying and qualifying draws to be announced in the next few days.

Women’s Tennis

Like the men’s team, the women’s tennis team will compete in the ITA All-American Championship beginning Saturday. Two Harvard athletes have qualified for the tournament’s main draw in Cary, North Carolina. Last year’s program leader in both singles and doubles wins, Kavya Karra ’27 will compete in the doubles main draw alongside partner Stephanie Yakoff ’27, who finished the year as the only nationally ranked Ivy League singles player. Yakoff, who achieved a career-best national singles ranking of No. 49 last year, has also qualified for the singles main draw. Look out for these two powerhouses over the next week of competition as they kick off their senior season.

Football

Football is back this weekend, with the Crimson traveling to Durham, New Hampshire, to face the University of New Hampshire in their season opener. Saturday at 1 p.m. will mark just the eighth meeting between the two teams. Their last matchup, in 2024, was the first since 1939—and the first time in the series’ history that the Wildcats scored a touchdown against Harvard. The 28–23 result in 2024 suggests another closely contested matchup. With the graduation of all-time touchdown pass leader Jaden Craig ’26, who will spend his final NCAA-eligible season at Texas Christian University, Dante Torres ’27 will likely start at quarterback this season. This season opener will be one to watch, as fans can witness Torres’ first test as the Crimson’s starting quarterback.

Cross Country

On Saturday, the Crimson cross country squad will split its roster between two different away meets: the Indiana State Invite and Dartmouth Invite, with rosters for each to be announced soon. These early-season meets will give fans a chance to see which athletes emerge as team leaders ahead of the Ivy Heptagonal Championships in October. Keep an eye on Brady Mullen ’29, whose fifth-place finish in the men’s 6k at the beginning of the month helped Harvard place fifth at the Providence Friar Invitational.

Women’s Soccer (5–2–1)

On Sunday at 1 p.m., women’s soccer will close out their non-conference play with a home game against the University of Connecticut. Harvard trails the University of Connecticut in the all-time series, with a record of 7–26–1, but the last two meetings in 2019 and 2023 ended in victories for the Crimson. The University of Connecticut’s roster is missing some notable names; meanwhile, Harvard is breaking in a new group of goalkeepers. None of the four goalkeepers played a minute for Harvard before this season, with early-season minutes going primarily to newcomer Olivia Busby ’30 and University of Georgia transfer Nicole Bidun ’29. Tune in to watch the pair settle into their roles before entering Ivy League play next week.

Whether on the field or on the court, at home or away, Harvard athletics has plenty to watch this week. As seniors begin their final season and first-years find their footing with new teams, tune in to support your favorite Crimson sports this week!

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