Women’s Soccer Falls at Holy Cross in First Road Match, 1-0

Sunday, August 23

Worcester, Mass.

7 p.m.

Brown University

1-1-0, 0-0-0

Holy Cross

2-1-1, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Brown	0	0	0
Holy Cross	0	1	1

Women’s Soccer Falls at Holy Cross in First Road Match, 1-0

8/23/2026 10:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

WORCESTER, Mass. – The Bears held advantages in shots and corner kicks, but the Crusaders scored the game's lone goal in the 62^nd minute as Brown University women's soccer fell to Holy Cross, 1-0, at Linda Johnson Smith Soccer Stadium on Sunday night.

Competing in their first road contest of the 2026 season, the Bears (1-1-0) led 12-10 in shots and 8-3 in corners, but the second-half tally from the Crusaders (2-1-1) held up as the difference.

Holy Cross' Sam Halligan scored the game's only goal in the 62^nd minute, driving a shot just inside the right post from outside the penalty area.

Brown's goalkeeping duo of senior Gurleen Toor and sophomore Addison Etter combined to make seven saves with Toor stopping three shots in the first half and Etter turning aside four shots in the second half.

Senior Joy Okonye paced the Bears with two shots and two shots on goal while sophomore Naomi Nnewihe added two shots, including one on goal.

Among the Bears' field players, juniors Nadja Meite, Kyra Treanor, Chesney Robinson, and Brooke Birtwistle all played the full 90 minutes.

Toor opened the game with a save in the third minute, extending to snare a shot from outside the box following a corner kick.

The Bears placed a pair of shots on goal inside of the first 15 minutes as sophomore Jael-Marie Guy drove a shot on frame from the edge of the box in the sixth minute before Okonye sent a header on target in the 13^th minute following a cross from the right side.

Toor stood tall on another shot in the 29^th minute, corralling a shot from distance.

Inside of the first 10 minutes of the second half, senior Audrey Lam drove a shot from long-range that required a save in the 55^th minute before the Crusaders' Halligan found the back of the net in the 62^nd minute.

Brown nearly equalized on multiple occasions inside of the final half hour, including a header on target from senior Angelina Vargas in the 68^th minute prior to back-to-back chances from the Bears in the 73^rd minute as Treanor tested the keeper with a driven header off a corner from Okonye before Okonye fired a shot on frame following the ensuing rebound.

A header from senior Hasti Gholami went just off target in the 90^th minute as Holy Cross held on for the decision.

For the match, Brown led in shots (12-10) and corner kicks (8-3) while Holy Cross held a narrow edge in shots on goal (8-7).

Next Up

Brown hosts Connecticut on Thursday, Aug. 27 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+) before playing at No. 23 Penn State on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 1:00 p.m. (B1G+).

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