Women's Soccer Opens Ivy Play at Harvard

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Brown women's soccer team will open Ivy League play this Saturday, Sept. 23 with a 7 p.m. matchup at Harvard.

The contest features the top two teams in the Ivy League from last season. While the Bears have claimed three straight Ivy Titles, the Crimson have finished second in two of the last three years.

TopDrawerSoccer has labeled the contest as one of their "Five Games to Watch" this week.

The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

Scouting the Bears (4-1-2)

Brown is 19-0-2 in Ivy League play in their last 21 games. The Bears haven't lost a league contest since Oct. 28, 2018. Their 18-0-2 mark the last three seasons is the most dominant three-year stretch by any Ivy League team in the last 32 years.
Brittany Raphino and Ava Seelenfreund have been the most successful duo in the Ivy League over the last three years, accounting for 27 goals, 10 assists, and 64 points in league action, more than any other pair of teammates across the conference.
The Bears' defense this season has posted four shutouts and allowed only 18 shots on goal across seven games, an average of just 2.57 per game. Opponents in Brown's last two contests, Portland and Rhode Island, only managed one combined look on net.

Scouting the Crimson (5-2-1)

Harvard has scored 23 goals on the season, good for 2.88 per game, with first-year Ólöf Kristinsdóttir leading the team with five. In total, 11 players have found the back of the net for the Crimson.
On the flip side, they have given up 11 goals on the year, the most of any Ivy League team.
Notable results on the season for the Crimson include a 2-0 victory over North Carolina State and 5-0 result against Samford. Last time out, they fell to St. John's 4-3.

History

All-time against the Crimson, Brown is 23-29-5. During the last three season, the Bears are undefeated at 2-0-1. During head coach Kia McNeill's tenure, dating back to 2016, Brown is 3-1-2.
Last year's contest at Stevenson-Pincince Field finished in a 1-1 draw. Brittany Raphino scored in the first half, but Harvard tied things up in the 75^th minute and that's how the game would end.
Raphino has scored in every game she has played against the Crimson. In 2019 as a freshman, she scored the team's fourth goal in a 4-2 victory. In 2021, she had the game-winner in a 1-0 contest at Harvard, before also contributing Brown's strike against the Crimson last season.

BROWN UNIVERSITY SPORTS FOUNDATION
The Brown University Sports Foundation (BUSF) is the lifeblood of the athletics program, and exists to enhance the student-athlete experience through philanthropic support from alumni, parents, fans and friends. A gift through the Sports Foundation makes an immediate impact on today's Brown Bears and helps them to be their best in the classroom, in competition and most importantly in the community. To learn more about supporting the Bears, please click here.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
For the latest on Brown Athletics, please follow @BrownU_Bears on Twitter, @BrownU_Bears on Instagram, like BrownUBears on Facebook and subscribe to the BrownAthletics YouTube channel.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Brittany Raphino

Ava Seelenfreund

Brown University Athletics