Women’s Soccer Hosts New Haven Thursday Night in Season Opener

Thursday, August 20

Providence, R.I.

7 p.m.

Brown University

New Haven

Women’s Soccer Hosts New Haven Thursday Night in Season Opener

8/19/2026 4:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Watch on ESPN+International Stream Live Stats @brownu_wsoccer on X @brownu_wsoccer on Instagram

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown University women's soccer hosts New Haven in its season and home opener on Thursday, Aug. 20 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+) at Stevenson-Pincince Field as the Bears kick off their 2026 campaign.

Scouting the Bears (0-0-0)

Brown returns 2025 Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Ivy selection Joy Okonye and also brings back three 2025 Second Team All-Ivy honorees in Corine Gregory, Audrey Lam, and Ayla Sahin as well as 2025 Honorable Mention All-Ivy pick Brooke Birtwistle.
Okonye posted 19 points on seven goals and five assists a season ago while Sahin notched 11 points behind five goals and one assist. Gregory added eight points on four goals while Lam and Birtwistle both started all 17 games.
Other experienced players from last season's team include Angelina Vargas (nine points, three goals, three assists), Jael-Marie Guy (seven points, three goals, one assist), Kyra Treanor (17 games played, 16 games started), Nadja Meite (17 games played, 13 starts), and Chesney Robinson (14 games played, 14 starts).
In 2025, the Bears went 9-4-4 overall and 3-2-2 in Ivy League play, qualifying for the Ivy League Tournament before falling in the event's semifinals.
In goal, Addison Etter returns after making four appearances with three starts and a 1.59 GAA last fall as does Gurleen Toor who played in four games with two starts and a 0.00 ERA.
Brown (98 points, two first-place votes) took the No. 3 spot in the 2026 Ivy League Women's Soccer Preseason Poll behind first-place Princeton (120 points, 10 first-place votes) and second-place Dartmouth (109 points, four first-place votes).
Brown welcomes a group of 10 newcomers to the team this fall in a Class of 2030 that includes Charlie Banbury, Danielle Bobowski, Maja Cenanovic, Sydney Dunn, Taylor Green, Madison Malek, Bianca Putanec, Georgia Steinbach, Chloe Shin, and Anya Tansil.

Scouting the Chargers (0-1-0)

New Haven fell in its season opener, dropping a 5-0 decision on the road against Stony Brook on Aug. 16.
In 2025 – the program's first season as a Division I program – the Chargers went 0-15-1 overall with an 0-10-1 mark in NEC play.
Emma Mitchell returns after leading the program in points (nine) and goals (four) a season ago.

History

Brown and New Haven met for the first time last season with the Bears taking a 3-0 victory over the Chargers on Aug. 22, 2025 in West Haven, Conn. Joy Okonye scored a pair of goals for the Bears while Ayla Sahin netted one tally.

Next Up

Brown plays at Holy Cross on Sunday, Aug. 23 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+).

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 X, @BrownU_Bears on Instagram, like BrownUBears on Facebook and subscribe to the BrownAthletics YouTube channel.