Women's Soccer

Ivies Off to Best Start in a Decade

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Following the League’s best start in a decade, Princeton sophomore Abby Givens and Brown freshman Zeinab Kante were selected as the Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively. Both Princeton and Brown opened the 2017 campaign 2-0-0, as part of a 10-2-1 (.808) League mark. For the third time over the past four seasons, the Ivy League claims a winning percentage of .731-or-better through 13 games. 

LEAGUE NOTES
  • The Ivy League is off to its best start in a decade at 10-2-1, narrowly edging last year’s 10-3-0 start. This is the third time over the past four seasons that the Ivy League claims a winning percentage of .731-or-better through 13 games (2014, 2016, 2017).
  • Seven Ivies remain unbeaten. Harvard, Princeton and Yale have yet to concede a goal, combining to outscore their opponents 10-0 in five matches thus far.
  • Princeton is 2-0-0 for the third-straight season. Yale also owns a 2-0-0 mark for the fourth time in the last five years, despite playing without reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year Aerial Chavarin due to injury. Chavarin is the League’s top returning point-getter (23) and goal scorer (9).
  • Yale earned its first victory over UConn since 2004, when it knocked off the No. 21-ranked Huskies, 1-0, in its season-opener on August 25. The win was also Yale’s first-ever on UConn’s home field in Storrs, Conn.
  • Princeton sophomore forward Abby Givens paces the Ancient Eight with three goals and six points, having matched her 2016 goal total in just two games.
  • A pair of Brown freshman forwards, Zeinab Kante and Star White, netted goals in their collegiate debuts, propelling the Bears to a 2-1 overtime victory on August 25 against Maine.
  • Cornell is the final Ivy to begin its 2017 campaign, with its season opener scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 31, at Syracuse.
  • Three Ivies travel to California for a pair of matches over Labor Day weekend—Columbia, Dartmouth and Penn.
  • Princeton visits the Tar Heel State to take on a pair of ranked Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) foes. The Tigers will face off against No. 20 NC State on Friday, September 1, and No. 18 Wake Forest on Sunday, September 3. Both matches will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra and ESPN3.
  • Reigning Ivy League champion Harvard will compete in the Central Connecticut State Tournament, meeting the host Blue Devils on Friday, September 1, and St. John’s on Sunday, September 3.
  • Three matches will be broadcast on the Ivy League Network, which is available on Apple TV and Roku. The network can be found online at IvyLeague.TV and IvyLeagueNetwork.com.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Tuesday, August 29
Harvard at Northeastern, 6:30 p.m. [GONUxstream]
Sacred Heart at Yale, 7 p.m. [ILN]
 
Thursday, August 31
Brown at Hartford, 6 p.m. [AETV]
Cornell at Syracuse, 7 p.m.
 
Friday, September 1
Penn at UC Irvine, 4 p.m.
Columbia at Pepperdine, 6 p.m. [TheW.TV]
Harvard at Central Connecticut State, 7 p.m.* [AETV]
Miami at Yale, 7 p.m. [ILN]
Princeton at No. 20 NC State, 8 p.m. [ACC Network Extra] [ESPN3]
Dartmouth at No. 25 Long Beach State, 10 p.m.
 
Saturday, September 2
Brown at Vermont, 12 p.m. [AETV]
 
Sunday, September 3
Eastern Washington at Cornell, 11:30 a.m. [ILN]
Princeton at No. 18 Wake Forest, 1 p.m. [ACC Network Extra] [ESPN3]
Harvard vs. St. John’s, 3:30 p.m.* [AETV]
Dartmouth at Pepperdine, 4 p.m. [TheW.TV]
Columbia at Loyola Marymount, 4 p.m. [TheW.TV]
Penn at UC Riverside, 7 p.m.
 
KEY
GONUxstream – Broadcast on Northeastern’s GONUxstream.com
ILN – Broadcast on the Ivy League Network, now available on Apple TV and Roku
AETV – Broadcast on AmericaEast.TV
TheW.TV – Broadcast on TheW.TV
ACC Network Extra – Broadcast on the ACC’s Digital Channel ACC Network Extra
ESPN3 – Broadcast on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN App
*CCSU Tournament (New Britain, Conn.) 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Abby Givens had three goals during her All-Ivy Honorable Mention freshman campaign in 2016. Two games into the 2017 season, she’s already matched that mark. The Princeton sophomore forward recorded her first career multi-goal game in the Tigers season opener against Monmouth, tacking on insurance strikes in the 44th and 70th minutes.
 
At Villanova, Givens added another tally, this time in the 50th minute. The Charlotte, N.C., native fired a crossing shot to the left corner off a through ball from fellow sophomore Tomi Kennedy for what would prove to be the game-winner. For the third-straight year, Princeton opens the season 2-0-0.    
 
Givens adds the first Ivy League Player of the Week nod to her list of conference accolades, having previously been named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week on Oct. 3, 2016. Princeton received four Player of the Week awards in 2016, the last being bestowed upon Mimi Asom on Oct. 31, 2016.
 
Givens’ Statistics for the Week
2 G, 4 PTS, 3 SH, 2 SOG vs. Monmouth
1 G, 2 PTS, 4 SH, 2 SOG vs. Villanova
 
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
After entering the game as a reserve in the 71st minute, Brown freshman forward Zeinab Kante had a hand in both Bear goals in her collegiate debut against Maine. The Dallas, Texas, native set up fellow freshman forward Star White for the equalizer in the 82nd minute to force overtime. In the extra period, White returned the favor, redirecting a loose ball away from the goalkeeper and toward a charging Kante at the top of the penalty box, which Kante slotted home. The 98th minute golden goal helped Brown earn its first of two overtime victories on the week.
 
After a productive 39 minutes in her debut, Kante saw 26 minutes of action in Brown’s 3-2 double-overtime win over Rhode Island. For the fourth time in the past seven years (2011, 2012, 2014, 2017), the Bears claim a 2-0-0 mark to open the season.
 
Kante receives the first Ivy League weekly award of her career and is the Bears first Rookie of the Week honoree since Christine Etzel on Nov. 9, 2015.
 
Kante’s Statistics for the Week
1 G, 1 A, 3 PTS, 1 SH, 1 SOG vs. Maine
1 GP vs. Rhode Island
 
HONOR ROLL
Celia Story, Brown (Jr., F – Bainbridge Island, Wash.)
1 SH, 1 SOG vs. Maine
2 G, 4 PTS, 2 SH, 2 SOG at Rhode Island

Emily Koe, Columbia (So., F – Los Angeles, Calif.)
2 SH, 2 SOG vs. Hofstra
1 G, 1 A, 3 PTS, 2 SH, 2 SOG vs. Seton Hall
 
Natalie Neshat, Columbia (Sr., M – San Diego, Calif.)
2 G, 4 PTS, 5 SH, 3 SOG vs. Seton Hall
 
Leah Mohammadi, Harvard (Jr., M – Upland, Calif.)
1 G, 2 PTS, 1 SH, 1 SOG vs. Providence
 
Carolyne Davidson, Princeton (Fr., M – Orlando, Fla.)
1 GP vs. Monmouth
1 A, 1 PT, 2 SH, 1 SOG vs. Villanova
 
Michelle Alozie, Yale (Jr., F – Apple Valley, Calif.)
1 A, 1 PT, 1 SH at UConn
2 G, 4 PTS, 8 SH, 4 SOG vs. Delaware State
 
Noelle Higginson, Yale (So., M – New Orleans, La.)
1 G, 2 PTS, 2 SH, 2 SOG at UConn
1 GP, 1 GS vs. Delaware State