Minutewomen Fall 1-0 to No. 4 Harvard

AMHERST, MA. -- No. 16 Massachusetts (14-3, 7-1 MAC) fell 1-0 to no. 4 Harvard (15-0, 6-0 Ivy) in a defensive battle on Sunday at Gladchuk Field Hockey Complex.

The Minutewomen held the Crimson so just six shots on goal but could not find an equalizer in the final five minutes. Myrte van Herwijnen made five saves in the contest, including four in the second half.

The Crimson were led by Martha Le Huray who scored the game's lone goal.

Breaking Down The Action

The first quarter of action ended in a 0-0 deadlock, with just one shot recorded between the two sides.
The Minutewomen were issued back-to-back green cards with under four minutes remaining in the second quarter but killed off the two-minute penalties before halftime.
The two programs went into the halftime break with the score 0-0 and just three combined shots.
Myrte Van Herwijnen made a pair of crucial kick saves off a Harvard penalty corner to keep the score level at 0-0, with 8:45 remaining in the third quarter.
Massachusetts drew a penalty corner of its own with 4:38 remaining, as Lina Kroeger's drag flick was subsequently blocked.
Gabrielle Benkenstein nearly gave the Minutewomen the advantage, as crimson keeper Linde Burger saved a shot directed at the left post.
Van Herwijnen made another key stop, saving a shot from Fiene Oerlemans with 8:08 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Harvard took the lead as Martha Le Huray tipped in a goal to give the Crimson a 1-0 advantage with 5:07 on the clock.
Massachusetts opted for an empty net, but was unable to find an equalizer, falling 1-0 in regulation.

Notable Numbers

3: Massachusetts drew 3 penalty corners on the afternoon.
4: The Minutewomen tallied 4 shots in the contest, 1 on goal.
5: Myrte van Herwijnen totaled five saves in the matchup.

Series History

With the result, Massachusetts now holds a 16-10-1 record all-time against the Crimson.
The matchup marks a rematch of the 2025 NCAA Regional Final, with Massachusetts claiming a 1-0 victory in Storrs, Connecticut.

Up Next

The Minutewomen host Ball State for senior day on Friday, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and can be followed live on umassathletics.com or UMassFH on Twitter.

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

Gabrielle Benkenstein

Lina Kroeger

Myrte van Herwijnen

Players Mentioned

Gabrielle Benkenstein

Lina Kroeger

Myrte van Herwijnen

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics