PRINCETON, N.J. - It was a game as good as advertised, as the No. 11-ranked and second-seeded Harvard Crimson defeated the No. 13 ranked and top-seeded Princeton Tigers, 2-1 in overtime, to win the 2024 Ivy League Field Hockey Tournament Championship. The road victory gave Harvard their second-straight Ivy League Tournament win.
It was a closely-contested scoreless game through the first 56 minutes. Princeton, the regular-season champions with a 7-0 Ivy League record, applied pressure on the Harvard defense, earning multiple penalty corners, but the Crimson turned Princeton away time and time again, only allowed two Tiger shots on cage in the first half. Similarly, Princeton’s defense was holding strong and limited Harvard to just a single shot on target in the entire first half.
The third quarter saw more action with both sides thinking they were on the precipice of breaking the scoreless tie. Harvard’s
Lara Beekhuis nearly put the Crimson on top in the first few minutes of the third quarter, beating a Princeton defender and firing a shot past the Tiger keeper, but it hit the post and bounced away out of harm’s way. Later in the frame, Harvard’s goalkeeper,
Tessa Shahbo, came up huge for her team, posting two of her game-high five saves to keep it a scoreless tie.
Given the even play in the game, it was only fitting it would come down to the final 15 minutes, or so fans thought, to decide the winner. Both keepers had early saves, including a penalty stroke save by
Robyn Thompson, but Harvard began moving forward offensively as the time ticked on and eventually broke through Thompson’s forcefield to take the 1-0 lead. Harvard earned a penalty corner, just their second of the game, with under three minutes to go.
Bronte-May Brough sent a shot towards the goal, where
Martha le Huray was waiting. le Huray redirected the ball past the Princeton goalie and into the back of the cage to give Harvard a late 1-0 advantage.
But Princeton was not done. Their championship mettle showing and their net empty, the Tigers earned consecutive penalty corners with just over a minute to play, and on the second,
Ella Cashman was able to capitalize off a pass from
Beth Yeager to tie the game with 59 seconds to play.
In overtime, the Tigers had the first opportunity, but Yeager’s shot from another corner was saved by Shahbo, keeping it a 1-1 game. A few minutes later, that proved to be even more crucial, as le Huray weaved her way through multiple Princeton defenders and got her shot past Thompson to send her teammates pouring out onto the field in celebration.
For her heroics, scoring both goals of the overtime victory, first-year talent le Huray was named the 2024 Ivy League Field Hockey Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
Harvard has earned the Ivy League’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. Princeton will also look for a NCAA Field Hockey Tournament bid, with the field being determined during the selection show airing tonight at 10:00 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.
2024 IVY LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Martha le Huray, Harvard (Most Outstanding Player)
Kitty Chapple, Harvard
Bronte-May Brough, Harvard
Tessa Shahbo, Harvard
Beth Yeager, Princeton
Ella Cashman, Princeton
Robyn Thompson, Princeton
Lucy Adams, Brown
Mia Karine Myklebust, Brown
Katie Wimmer, Columbia
Lizzie Adams, Columbia