CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts – The 2024 Harvard women’s soccer season is upon us, as the Crimsons will open their campaign next Monday (August 26) against Marshall under the lights at Jordan Field. The team is coming off an impressive 2023 season in which the program set a new standard, winning 13 games – the most since the 1999 season – and winning the first Ivy League Tournament championship to secure its third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth. Now, the Branca Family head coach for Harvard women’s soccer and his group have repositioned and refocused for the new season.
WHAT TO KNOW
GUESS WHO’S BACK?
The Harvard women’s soccer team, champions of the 2023 Ivy League Tournament, will return for its 2024 season when it faces Marshall for the first time in program history on Monday, August 26, at 6 p.m. at Jordan Field.
JADE ROSE, THE OLYMPICIAN
Experienced defender and team captain, Jade Rosemade history this summer by becoming the first Harvard student-athlete to compete in the Olympics. In Paris, Jade competed for the Canadian women’s national team, starting in the defensive line in all four of the team’s matches. Jade played every minute of every game for Team Canada as the team advanced to the knockout rounds before losing to Germany in the quarterfinals.
Bring back the firepower
The Crimsons return to their roster in 2024 with several elite players, including All-Americans Jade Rose And Josephine HasboHarvard will also score 63 percent of its goals and 56 percent of its points in 2024.
AN UNFORGETTABLE YEAR
2023 was a year that fans of Harvard women’s soccer will not soon forget. The Crimsons’ list of accomplishments included winning their first Ivy League Tournament championship, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and recording 13 wins, the most for the program since the 199 season. The 2023 Crimsons set a new standard that the program will look to build on in the years to come.
Fill the trophy cabinet
A number of Crimson student-athletes earned postseason honors, including Hasbo, who was named First-Team All-America, First-Team All-Ivy League (unanimous), First-Team All-East Region and CSC All-Academic, and was also named a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist, making her one of the top 15 players in the country. Jade Rose continued her dominance and for her efforts, Rose earned the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year award for the second consecutive year and was named to the All-America third team, All-Ivy League first team and All-Region second team. Other accolades included Ólöf Kristinsdóttir being named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year and Hannah Bebar They landed on the All-Ivy League First Team and the All-Region Second Team. Anna Karpenko, Smith Hunter and Kristinsdóttir were also named to the All-Ivy League second team.
Defensive dominance
Harvard’s defense stifled opposing offenses last season, allowing just 46 shots on goal, the third-fewest in the nation. Only Florida State — the No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament — and UCLA — the defending national champion — have fewer. Both programs allowed just 39 shots on goal during the regular season, leading the nation.
HIGHEST SETTING IN HISTORY
Harvard secured a fourth-place finish in this year’s tournament, the highest in program history since seeding began after the 2000 season. The Crimsons finished higher than their previous best, which was sixth in 2022.
SUCCESS STRIP
At home, the Crimsons posted a record of 6-1-1 last season and hold a 31-8-2 record since 2018. On the road, the Crimsons have been similarly successful, posting a 21-5-5 record away from Jordan Field since 2019.
Dominant at home
The Harvard offense has lit up the scoreboard at Jordan Field since the 2018 season, outscoring opponents on home soil 66-21. In the last 11 meetings, Harvard has held a 34-7 edge over its opponents and that edge has increased to a 47-10 edge in the last 17 meetings.
CRIMSON SCARE: SHUTOUT RECORD
The Harvard women’s soccer team recorded eight shutouts last season, just two shy of the program’s season record of ten. The eight shutouts were the third-most in a season ever.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
The Harvard women’s soccer team welcomes a familiar coaching staff to the sidelines in 2024. Coach Hamblin will be supported by Michael Calise (17th season) and Mark McDevitt (Season 7), which means the team has been together for the seventh season in a row. Operations Coordinator, Kerry Baldwin (9th season) and goalkeeping coach, Jami Crane (Season 3) also return to their roles in the team.
NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED
Harvard’s women’s soccer team has been a member of Soccer Wire’s top 50 programs for the past five seasons. The Crimsons finished 46th in the rankings, which take into account national rankings and accomplishments since the start of the 2020 season.
The recognition is a testament to the program’s rapid growth under Coach Hamblin and his team, which is seeking its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024.
IVY LEAGUE PRE-SEASON POLL
After an exciting season in which four Ivy League programs won games in the NCAA Tournament, the national spotlight is on the Ivy League women’s soccer team for the 2024 season. Following a media vote, Harvard was selected as the Ivy League regular season winner.
The Crimsons finished in first place after collecting 120 votes, including 10 of the 16 first-place votes that came from the projections. Harvard, which finished 19th nationally in TopDrawerSoccer’s preseason poll, is coming off a 13-4-2 season that included an NCAA Tournament win and the Ivy League Tournament title.
Ivy League Women’s Soccer 2024 Preseason Poll
Expected order at the finish
1. Harvard – 120 (10 votes for first place)
2. Brown – 108 (4)
3. Princeton-103 (2)
4. Colombia – 77
5. Dartmouth-57
6. Yale-48
7. Penn-41
8. Cornell – 22
DANGER
Josie Hasbo and Jade Rose were both recently named players to watch in each of their position groups by United Soccer Coaches. It’s the third consecutive year on the list for Rose and the second for hasbo, both of whom were named 2023 United Soccer Coaches All-Region and All-American.
TOP100
Josie Hasbo and Jade Rose both landed on the annual Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Top 100 players list last week ahead of their final seasons. The list recognizes the top 100 players in college women’s soccer at the start of the season. Josie was ranked 27th while Jade was ranked 62nd on the list.
START IN THE TOP 25
Harvard entered the 2024 season ranked 19th in the Top Drawer Soccer national rankings. In the survey a year ago, Harvard was ranked 17th.
RECORDINGS VS. CONFERENCE
Harvard will play opponents from eight different conferences this season. Below is the program’s record against current opponents in each conference…
Ivy League (172-73-29)
Atlantic 10 (22-21-4)
B1G (4-11-1)
CAA (8-10-2)
Horizon League (1-0-0)
Patriot League (34-12-7)
Sun Belt Conference (0-1-0)
WCC (3-7-2)
