Ancient Eight Domination: Women's Soccer Topples Yale, Clinches Tournament Bid

Harvard women’s soccer (7-3-5, 3-3-1 Ivy) prevailed over its storied rival the Yale Bulldogs (8-7-1, 2-4-1 Ivy) in a decisive 3-1 victory last weekend. In a must-win game that served as the culmination of the regular season, Harvard defeated Yale and secured the coveted fourth spot of the postseason Ivy League tournament. For Yale, it was a heartbreaking end to an admiral season; for Harvard, a hard-won ticket to the postseason and a chance to defend its Ivy League title.

The lead-up to the Harvard-Yale match was charged with intensity, as emotions ran high for both teams. For Harvard, the game was more than just a competition, it was also Senior Day for the squad, honoring the contributions of defender Jade Rose, midfielder Áslaug Gunnlaugsdóttir, forward Nicola Golen, Josefine Hasbo, Crimson Sports Editor Sydney Farnham, and manager Hildur Hákonardóttir.

Through the celebrations, the team reflected on a season fraught with challenges. Despite being reigning Ancient Eight champions, Harvard faced relentless adversity, plagued by injuries and setbacks that made each game a test of the team’s resilience. Every team in the league gunned to dethrone it, so it forced nothing short of the best out of Harvard in every matchup. Despite the perception that the end of the road was near, the Crimson refused to surrender its dream of grasping another Ivy League title at the conclusion of the season.

A game between the two historic foes is always something special, but this was more than a rivalry. This game was a battle for survival, with the season hanging in the balance. Both teams understood the stakes of this matchup as a defeat meant more than a loss to an old foe- it meant watching the Ivy League tournament from the sidelines as the victor advanced in its place.

In the opening minutes of the game, Harvard approached the game similar to its matchup against UPenn –with an offensive mindset. The Crimson immediately advanced the ball down the field, pressing toward the opposing Yale goal. Harvard’s persistence saw it muster a few early chances on net, but the Crimson could not strike paydirt despite its crafty attempts at evading the Bulldog’s netminder.

On the other hand, Yale scored within the first few minutes, asserting its presence in the game. After a throw-in from the Bulldogs, senior midfielder Ellie Rappole gathered the ball, spun off a Harvard defender and fired a shot into the goal, giving the Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead over the Crimson. This goal marked Yale’s first of the game, and inevitably, its last goal of the season.

Harvard was determined to quickly respond to the goal with a strong offensive attack. Sophomore Anna Rayhill led the push by placing a beautiful through ball to Gunnlaugsdóttir in Yale territory. However, the senior could not score despite being one-on-one with the goalkeeper as the ball sailed high over the post.

Luckily for the Crimson, on the defensive end junior goalkeeper Rhiannon Stewart was there to deny any further Yale attempts. Standing strong and taking up space, the goalie was a bright spot on the field as she stood between the Bulldogs and their dreams of postseason glory.

With the clock winding toward the end of the first half, Harvard needed to aim to even the contest before the buzzer. Freshman forward Lauren Muniz was prepared to answer the call. In a crafty play she pursued a ball in the open field and was met by the Yale netminder outside of the box, but after a nifty move on the goalkeeper, she slid and kicked the ball into an open net for the Crimson’s first goal of the game.

“It was a very emotional game with both the Ivy League tournament spot on the line as well as senior day,” the freshman said. “In addition, it was a rivalry game, so it was incredibly exciting to be able to equalize after being out for all of conference play with an injury. I think that equalizing and getting the go ahead goal before half was very important in securing the win and keeping the momentum up.”

Harvard wasn’t ready to quiet down in the first half. In the final minute of the period, the Crimson earned a corner kick, presenting a prime opportunity to organize its offense and score a second goal that would put Yale on the defensive. The corner kick was taken by Gunnlaugsdóttir, who delivered a ball into the box where it was met by a slew of Harvard and Yale players, including the Bulldogs’ goalkeeper. Muniz was able to get a foot on the ball, but it was ultimately deflected to senior midfielder Josefine Hasbo who rushed to fire the ball into the goal. Just like that, Harvard was on top entering the break with a 2-1 lead. The squad would not look back.

“It was incredible to score in my last game on Jordan and in such an important match for the group,” Hasbo said. “With it also being senior day, it was really special to have our families there and celebrate what has been a transformative four years.”

As the teams returned to the field for the second half, Harvard relied upon its grit from the first half, taking the field with a renewed sense of purpose. Harvard was prepared to show this game was not solely about winning– it was about embracing the challenge, and leaving no doubt that the season would end with a claim in the Ivy League tournament.

In the early minutes of the second half, both teams traded scoring chances. Yale was adamant about pressing the Harvard backline to create a mishap and try and score a goal. However, Harvard displayed exceptional patience to hold off the Bulldogs attack. Finally, at the 64 minute mark, the Crimson broke free of the Bulldogs attacking chain and won a penalty kick where Gunnlaugsdóttir was selected to take the kick for Harvard. As the two-time Offensive Player of the Week stepped up to the ball, anticipation gripped the Crimson bench and the crowd alike.

This moment was more than just a chance to widen the lead. For the Icelandic native, this wasn’t just a penalty—it was a defining moment in her final regular season game on Jordan Field. Gunnlaugsdóttir struck a ball deep into the right corner for another Crimson goal to give Harvard a 3-1 lead, and to clinch the team’s victory.

Stewart would make two final saves down the stretch to preserve the lead and send Yale on a long, torturous road trip back to New Haven. As the final whistle blew, the Crimson clinched the final spot in the Ivy League tournament.

Now, with sights set on the Ivy League tournament, Harvard looks ahead with the intention of closing the season in the right manner: with a tournament victory. Together, the Crimson will carry the lessons learned in the rivalry win into the tournament with an opportunity to defend their title as Ivy League champions. The Ivy League tournament is set in Princeton and the Crimson will compete against the Tigers in the first semifinal matchup. The quest for the title begins Nov 8th at 4:30pm on ESPN+.

—Staff writer Chandler Pigge can be reached at chandler.pigge@thecrimson.com