Women’s Soccer Heads to Harvard for Saturday Showdown

Saturday, October 19

Cambridge, MA

3:00 PM

Brown University

Harvard University

Women’s Soccer Heads to Harvard for Saturday Showdown

10/17/2019 3:39:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Watch Live (ESPN+)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown University women's soccer – the No. 5 team in the latest NCAA RPI Rankings – travels to Harvard University on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 3:00 p.m. (ESPN+) in a showdown of the two teams tied at the top of the Ivy League standings with identical 3-0-0 records in conference play.

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THE IVY LEAGUE ON ESPN
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A SEASON 35 YEARS IN THE MAKING
At 9-1-1, Brown has posted its best record through 11 games since notching an undefeated (13-0-1) regular season in 1984. The Bears are 3-0-0 in Ivy play for the first time since 1994 when the Bears went 6-0-1 in Ivy play. Brown is 8-0-0 at home in 2019 (outscoring opponents 18-2) and 11-0-0 in its last 11 home matches (outscoring opponents 30-3).

LAST TIME OUT
Freshman Ava Seelenfreund (Truckee, Calif.) scored the game-winning goal in the 81^st minute, and the Bears' defense posted its eighth team shutout in 11 games played this season as Brown blanked Princeton, 1-0, on Saturday, Oct. 12 at Stevenson-Pincince Field, defeating the favorites in the Ivy League Preseason Poll and winners of three of the last four Ivy titles

IN THE RANKINGS
Brown moved up to No. 5 in the latest NCAA RPI Rankings and up to No. 13 in the Top Drawer Soccer national poll. The Bears also check in at No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches East Region Rankings. Harvard sits at No. 40 in the RPI as one of seven Ivy League schools ranked in the top 100. The Ivy League ranks as the No. 5 conference in the nation in the RPI.

DEFENSIVE TENACITY
As a team, Brown leads the NCAA in fewest goals allowed (three), while ranking second in goals-against average (0.27) and third in save percentage (.909). The Bears lead the Ivy League in goals allowed (three), goals allowed per game (0.27), GAA (0.27), shutouts (eight), and save percentage (.909). Junior goalkeeper Kayla Thompson (Austin, Texas) ranks leads the nation in GAA (0.22) and ranks second in save percentage (.926), while pacing the Ivy League with six shutouts.

HOME COOKING
Brown has posted an 8-0-0 record at home in 2019, outscoring opponents 18-2 in those contests. Dating back to the 2018 season, the Bears sport an 11-0-0 record in their last 11 home matches, outscoring opponents 30-3 during that stretch.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Junior center back Sydney Cummings (Millstone Township, N.J.) earned a spot on Top Drawer Soccer's Midseason Top-100 Watch List, and freshman forward Brittany Raphino (Randolph, Mass.) gained a spot in the top quarter of the organization's Top-100 Freshmen Watch List as announced on Oct. 16. Cummings checked in as the No. 92 player in the nation and the No. 1 player in the Ivy League while Raphino stood as the No. 24 freshman in the country.

SEELENFREUND SNAGS IVY ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Freshman forward Ava Seelenfreund (Truckee, Calif.) earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors on Oct. 14 after scoring the game-winning goal in the Bears' 1-0 win over Princeton – the Ivy League preseason favorites and winners of three of the last four Ivy titles – on Oct. 12. Seelenfreund scored her fourth goal of the season and tallied her third game-winning goal of the year on her header in the 81^st minute. She also gained a spot on New England Soccer Journal's Top-10 Freshmen Standouts list.

STRONG START
With a 6-0-1 record through its first seven games, Brown got off to its best undefeated start to a season since starting the 2000 season with a 9-0-0 record. It marked just the fifth time in program history that the Bears registered an undefeated record through seven games, joining the teams from 2000 (9-0-0), 1984 (13-0-1), 1977 (9-0-0), and 1976 (7-0-0). That stretch included the second-longest shutout streak in program history as the Bears recorded six consecutive clean sheets, trailing only the 1984 team's 10 straight clean sheets.

RAPHINO TAKES IVY ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Freshman forward Brittany Raphino (Randolph, Mass.) gained Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors on Oct. 7 after scoring the game-winning goal in the Bears' 2-0 win over Columbia (Oct. 5). Raphino totaled three points and scored the game-winning goal in Brown's 2-0 road win over the Lions. She scored her first collegiate game-winning goal with a tally in the 34^th minute and added an assist on the team's goal in the 90^th minute.

CUMMINGS CLAIMS SPOT ON NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK
Junior center back Sydney Cummings (Millstone Township, N.J.) earned a spot on Top Drawer Soccer's National Team of the Week on Oct. 8 after helping the Bears post their seventh shutout in 10 matches this season. Cummings helped the Bears post a clean sheet in Brown's 2-0 road win at Columbia (Oct. 5). Cummings played the full 90 minutes, helping the Bears earn their first win over Columbia – a team that had won six of its last seven matches entering the weekend – since 2009.

WHITE EARNS IVY PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brown junior forward Star White (Norfolk, Va.) gained Ivy League Player of the Week honors on Sept. 30 after scoring the game-winning goal in the Bears' 2-1 win over Dartmouth (Sept. 28). White netted the game winner in the Bears' victory over Dartmouth at Stevenson-Pincince Field in the Ivy League opener for both teams. White tallied her goal in the 56^th minute breaking a 1-1 tie and making Brown the first team to score two goals on Dartmouth in 2019 as the Big Green entered the match with only two goals allowed.

THE BACK LINE
Brown's back line of junior center backs Sydney Cummings (Millstone Township, N.J.) and Cameron Brown (Portsmouth, Va.) alongside sophomore Lauren Hinton (Middletown, Conn.) and freshman Rachyl Francisco (San Jose, Calif.) has helped Brown post eight shutouts on the season – tied for the fourth-most in a year in program history, trailing only the teams from 1984 (12 shutouts), 2016 (10), and 2000 (10). Cummings and Brown have played all 1,010 minutes on the season while Hinton has played 999 minutes. Cummings and Brown have helped the Bears post 19 shutouts since the start of the 2017 season.

BALANCED ATTACK
Brown features a balanced attack as 10 different student-athletes have scored a goal and 14 different players have posted a point on the season. The Bears' freshman duo of Ava Seelenfreund (Truckee, Calif.) and Brittany Raphino (Randolph, Mass.) as well as junior Star White (Norfolk, Va.) pace the Bears' attack. Seelenfreund leads the team with 12 points on four goals and four assists alongside a team-high three game-winning goals, Raphino ranks second with 10 points on four goals and two assists, and White stands third with eight points on three goals and two assists. Raphino netted a hat trick against Fairfield (Sept. 18) and scored the game winner at Columbia (Oct. 5) while Seelenfreund registered a brace against UMass Lowell (Sept. 1) and the game winner vs. Princeton (Oct. 12). White netted a pair of goals against Fairfield and scored the game winner against Dartmouth (Sept. 28).

CUMMINGS IN THE BACK
Junior Sydney Cummings (Millstone Township, N.J.) has earned Second Team All-Ivy honors in each of her first two seasons and has played 3,933 of a possible 3,952 minutes (99.5 percent) during her career as a center back. She ranks in a tie for first on the team with four assists on the season. Cummings has helped Brown post 19 shutouts as a team since the start of the 2017 season. She gained Second Team NEWISA All-New England accolades as a sophomore and played with the Guyana National Team in 2019 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in May 2018.

STAR POWER
Junior Star White (Norfolk, Va.) has eight points on three goals and two assists on the season. She netted the game-winning goal vs. Dartmouth (Sept. 28) and scored her first two goals of the season in the Bears' 5-0 win over Fairfield (Sept. 18). She now has 13 career goals and stands as one of three active Bears with a dozen or more goals. Seniors Abby Carchio (Lakeville, Mass.) and Celia Story (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) join her on the list with 15 and 12 goals respectively.

CARCHIO IN THE MIDFIELD
Senior Abby Carchio (Lakeville, Mass.) netted the Bears' first goal of 2019 against Hofstra (Aug. 30) and scored a goal against Dartmouth (Sept. 28) in her first start since the Hofstra game due to injury. Carchio put together an outstanding junior campaign, earning First Team All-Ivy, Third Team All-East Region, First Team All-New England, and New England Midfielder of the Year honors. During the 2018 season, she led the Ivy League in points (28) and assists (eight), while ranking second in the conference in goals (10). A back-to-back First Team All-Ivy selection and a two-time All-New England selection, she has totaled 44 career points on 15 goals and 14 assists in 51 career games played.

THOMPSON WINS BACK-TO-BACK IVY PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS
Junior goalkeeper Kayla Thompson (Austin, Texas) earned Ivy League Player of the Week honors for the second consecutive week on Sept. 16 following another pair of shutouts. Thompson recorded clean sheets against Hartford (Sept. 12) and Providence (Sept. 15) in a pair of 1-0 wins, giving her four straight shutouts. In the win over PC, she helped the Bears claim the Crosstown Cup with their first win over the Friars since 2011. She totaled six saves on the week, making four saves against the Friars and two saves against Hartford.

THOMPSON GAINS IVY PLAYER OF THE WEEK, NATIONAL HONORS
Junior goalkeeper Kayla Thompson (Austin, Texas) earned Ivy League Player of the Week on Sept. 9 as well as a spot on Top Drawer Soccer's National Team of the Week after recording back-to-back shutouts, including a clean sheet on the road at No. 13 Texas A&M (Sept. 8). Against the nationally ranked Aggies, Thompson made six saves and blanked the hosts over the full 110 minutes in a 0-0 (2OT) draw. Texas A&M – the SEC preseason favorites – came into the match averaging 2.40 goals per game. The junior transfer from West Virginia University also tallied four saves in a 2-0 win over Connecticut (Sept. 5). For the week, Thompson did not allow a goal over 200 minutes and made 10 saves.

STORY OF A GIRL
Senior Celia Story (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) netted a goal in the Bears' 4-0 win over UMass Lowell (Sept. 1), scoring her first goal since Oct. 21, 2017 after missing the majority of the 2018 season due to injury. She has three points on a goal and an assist on the year and has 33 career points on 12 goals and nine assists. Story gained Honorable Mention All-Ivy honors in both 2016 and 2017 before missing the 2018 season. In 2017, she ranked ninth in the Ivy League in points (15) and fifth in assists (five), while standing second on the team in goals (five) and third in points and assists.

GOALKEEPER DEPTH
Junior goalkeepers Kayla Thompson (Austin, Texas) and Maria Guerrero Martinez (San Juan, Puerto Rico) have both made starts for the Bears this season. Thompson has tallied five clean sheets on the season and posted four straight shutouts against Connecticut (Sept. 5), No. 13 Texas A&M (Sept. 8), Hartford (Sept. 12), and Providence (Sept. 15). Guerrero Martinez started both of Brown's games in the team's opening weekend, posting a 0.52 GAA between the two matchups. Against UMass Lowell (Sept. 1), she denied a penalty kick, keeping the game scoreless in the first half.

EARLY IVY RESULTS
In the Bears' Ivy opener, senior Abby Carchio (Lakeville, Mass.) scored an early goal, junior Star White (Norfolk, Va.) netted the game-winning goal in the second half, and Brown topped Dartmouth, 2-1, on Saturday, Sept. 28 at Stevenson-Pincince Field. In the team's first road Ivy match, freshman Brittany Raphino (Randolph, Mass.) scored the contest's game-winning goal in the first half, and sophomore Zoe Maxwell (Irvington, N.Y.) added a goal in the match's waning moments as Brown topped Columbia, 2-0, for the first time since 2009 on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Commisso Soccer Stadium.

FIVE AGAINST FAIRFIELD
Brown earned a 5-0 win over Fairfield on Sept. 18 with multiple student-athletes contributing to the offensive outburst. Freshman Brittany Raphino (Randolph, Mass.) scored a hat trick – her first three career goals – in a 13-minute span in the second half while junior Star White (Norfolk, Va.) netted her first two goals of the season in a two-minute span in the first half. Junior Sydney Cummings (Millstone Township, N.J.) and freshman Ava Seelenfreund (Truckee, Calif.) each posted two assists in the match.

BRUNO EXTENDS SHUTOUT STREAK IN WEEK THREE
Brown improved to 5-0-0 at home and extended its shutout streak to 503:54 with a pair of 1-0 wins over Hartford (Sept. 12) and Providence (Sept. 15) in week three. The Bears earned their first win over the Friars since 2011 to capture the Crosstown Cup. Freshmen Sheyenne Allen (Bear, Del.) and Ava Seelenfreund (Truckee, Calif.) scored the game-winning goals against Hartford and PC respectively. Junior goalkeeper Kayla Thompson (Austin, Texas) pushed her personal shutout streak to four with the two clean sheets.

BEARS EARN RESULTS IN WEEK TWO
The Bears earned results over a pair of marquee opponents in their second weekend of competition, defeating Connecticut (Sept. 5), 2-0, and capturing a point in a 0-0 (2OT) draw at No. 13 Texas A&M (Sept. 8) – the preseason favorites to win the SEC. Brown topped the Huskies for the first time since 1990 with sophomores Malina Yago (Culver City, Calif.) and Claire Myers (Fairport, N.Y.) providing the goals. Junior goalkeeper Kayla Thompson (Austin, Texas) registered shutouts in both matchups, totaling 10 saves on the week.

OPENING WEEKEND
Brown won both of its fixtures in its season-opening weekend, defeating Hofstra (Aug. 30), 2-1, and UMass Lowell (Sept. 1), 4-0, in a pair of home games at Stevenson-Pincince Field. For the weekend, 10 different Bears registered points and five different Bears scored goals. Sophomore Claire Myers (Fairport, N.Y.) scored the game-winning goal against the Pride while freshman Ava Seelenfreund (Truckee, Calif.) netted a pair of goals against the River Hawks.

UNITED SOCCER COACHES TEAM ACADEMIC AWARD
The Bears earned the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for the 2018-19 academic year, United Soccer Coaches announced on Oct. 3. Brown stood as one of 258 schools to have both its men's and women's programs recognized with the award. Recipients are active members of the United Soccer Coaches College Services Program with a composite GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale for all players on the roster for the 2018-19 academic year.

CARCHIO SELECTED AS SENIOR CLASS AWARD CANDIDATE
Senior Abby Carchio (Lakeville, Mass.) has earned selection as selection as one of 30 candidates for the 2019 Senior CLASS Award in women's soccer for her notable achievements both on and off the field. Carchio put together an outstanding junior campaign, earning First Team All-Ivy, Third Team All-East Region, First Team All-New England, and New England Midfielder of the Year honors. During the 2018 season, she led the Ivy League in points (28) and assists (eight), while ranking second in the conference in goals (10).

During the summer of 2018, Carchio took part in Brown's Global Sport Community Fellows Program, a dynamic summer fellowship opportunity for Brown student-athletes focused on strengthening the capacity of local community organizations to deliver sport opportunities for Providence-area youth. A History concentrator and a 2018 Fall Academic All-Ivy selection, Carchio has an interest in entering a career in coaching and mentoring the next generation of soccer players.

ROSEN WINS GOLD AT MACCABI GAMES
The 2018 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, sophomore Rebecca Rosen (Port Washington, N.Y.) won gold this past summer with the United States at the 15^th European Maccabi Games held in Budapest, Hungary competing from July 31 to August 4. As a rookie for the Bears last fall, Rosen earned Second Team All-Ivy honors and the team's Arlene Gorton '52 Rookie of the Year Award alongside Ivy League Rookie of the Year accolades. She totaled 10 points on the year with four goals and two assists, ranking third in the Ivy League in both points (eight) and goals (three) in conference play.

RETURNING ALL-IVY
The Bears return all five of their All-Ivy selections from a year ago including a trio of two-time All-Ivy choices in senior Abby Carchio (Lakeville, Mass.) and juniors Sydney Cummings (Millstone Township, N.J.) and Star White (Norfolk, Va.). Brown also brings back 2018 Ivy League Rookie of the Year sophomore Rebecca Rosen (Port Washington, N.Y.) and junior All-Ivy selection Cameron Brown (Portsmouth, Va.) in addition to senior two-time All-Ivy pick Celia Story (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) – who missed most of 2018 due to injury.

BRUNO IN OPENERS
After the win over Hofstra, Brown improved its record to 30-14-1 all-time in season openers. The Bears have earned victories in eight of their last nine debuts.

THE CAPTAINS
Seniors Celia Story (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) and Abby Carchio (Lakeville, Mass.) and junior Sydney Cummings (Millstone Township, N.J.) will serve Brown as captains during the 2019 season. Story returns to the Bears as a captain for the second straight year.

NEWCOMERS
The members of the Bears' incoming class for the fall include goalkeeper Kayla Thompson (Austin, Texas) – a junior transfer out of West Virginia University – in addition to nine freshmen: forward/midfielder Sheyenne Allen (Bear, Del.), back/midfielder Rachyl Francisco (San Jose, Calif.), back Caylah Griffin (Plano, Texas), midfielder/back Laryssa Hamblen (Littleton, Colo.), back/midfielder KK Haug (Minneapolis, Minn.), back Juliette Pike (Short Hills, N.J.), forward Brittany Raphino (Randolph, Mass.), forward Ava Seelenfreund (Truckee, Calif.), and goalkeeper Morgan Turcotte (Lexington, Ky.).

TEAM IMPACT DRAFT DAY
Brown University women's soccer has officially signed Leilani Favela, a 14-year-old, two-time cancer survivor from Pawtucket, R.I., to its roster through a special Team IMPACT "Draft Day" on Saturday, August 17. As part of a ceremony in the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center's Paul K. Sloan '97 Football Team Room, Leilani signed an official Letter of Intent before her family and friends and received official team gear as part of a warm welcome to the team from the Bears.

FRANCE 2019
Brown took part in the trip of a lifetime to France and the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup from June 30 to July 8 this past summer. Over the course of their time in Lyon and Montpellier, the Bears watched Team USA win the 2019 Women's World Cup, played in a pair of friendlies, and saw historic sites, including the Basilica de Notre Dame de Fourviere and the Pont du Gard. The Bears chronicled their trip through the team's blog.

YEAR FOUR
Kia McNeill enters her fourth season as the head women's soccer coach at Brown in 2019, having led the Bears to a record of .500 or better in each of her first three seasons. Assistant coaches Matt Mones and Raleigh DeRose both return for their fourth season with the Bears while volunteer assistant goalkeeper coach Andre Reis enters his second year with the club.

THE LAST FOUR SEASONS
Brown has posted a record of .500 or better in each of the last four seasons. The team scored 29 goals in 2018 – the Bears' most since 2006 – tallied 11 victories in 2017 – the team's most since 2000 – and finished second in the Ivy League standings in 2016 – the Bears' highest finish in the league since 1994.

LAST FALL
In 2018, Brown finished the year with a record of .500 or better for the fourth straight season. The Bears concluded the season with 29 goals, marking their highest goal total since netting 37 goals in 2006.

SCOUTING THE CRIMSON
Harvard enters the weekend with a 10-2-0 overall record and a 3-0-0 Ivy League mark as the Bears and Crimson stand tied at the top of the Ivy League standings with nine points apiece. Harvard has won seven straight matches and holds a 10-1-0 mark in its last 11 contests. The Crimson has not allowed a goal in Ivy play with wins over Penn (1-0), Yale (1-0), and Cornell (3-0). Angela Caloia leads the Ancient Eight with 18 points on four goals and a league-high 10 assists. The Crimson features three more players with double-figure points in Murphy Agnew (16), Gabby DelPico (15), and Sophie Hirst (14). Kat Hess has played the majority of time in goal, registering a 0.50 GAA and .862 save percentage.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Brown and Harvard have met 54 times with the Bears trailing the Crimson in the all-time series, 21-29-4. In the last meeting between the two teams in Cambridge in 2017, Brown earned a 1-0 win at Harvard behind a goal in the 54^th minute from Jennifer Caruso '19 in the Bears' first victory over the Crimson since 2010. Brown last took consecutive road wins at Harvard with victories in 1988 and 1990.

COMING SOON
After playing at Harvard on Saturday, Brown hosts Vermont in a non-conference game on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+) before returning to Ivy League play at Cornell on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 1:30 p.m. (ESPN+).

TICKETS!
Tickets for all Brown women's soccer games can be purchased online, by calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or by walking up to the box office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.