Five Different Crimson Score as No. 3 Field Hockey Defeats UMass Lowell, 5

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 3 Harvard field hockey started the 2026 campaign on a high-note, as the Crimson defeated UMass Lowell, 5-1, after five different Crimson recorded goals against the River Hawks across 60 minutes at Berylson Field. After a scoreless first quarter, sophomore forward Lucy Barker, junior midfielder and team captain Tilly Butterworth, and senior forward Sage Piekarski all scored goals in the second quarter to provide Harvard a 3-0 advantage against UMass Lowell heading into the second half. First-year forward Evie Smith recorded her first career goal in the third quarter, while senior midfielder and team captain Lara Beekhuis wrapped up Harvard's 5-1 win with a goal in the fourth quarter. HOW IT HAPPENED It was Harvard (1-0, 0-0 Ivy League) that started the match on the front foot, as the Crimson dictated possession and crafted the early chances, taking six shots and limiting UMass Lowell (1-2, 0-0 America East) to zero attempts in the opening 15 minutes at Berylson Field. Just 23 seconds into the second quarter, Harvard broke through, registering the first goal of the 2026 season. Building from the backline, a run from junior midfielder Martha le Huray opened space in the field for Beekhuis, as the Crimson fed a pass to Barker who fired a shot into the bottom right of the cage, 1-0. Harvard's scoring run continued just seconds later, as the Crimson converted on a penalty corner for the first time this season with a strike from Butterworth, marking the Norwich, England native's sixth career goal for the Crimson, 2-0. The third goal of the second quarter arrived from effective pressing from Harvard, as Piekarski dispossessed a River Hawks defender and finished off the sequence thanks to an assist from sophomore forward Caroline Morris. The scoreboard stood at 3-0 in favor of Harvard heading into the halftime break, as the Crimson outshot UMass Lowell, 17-0, across the initial 30 minutes of the season opener. The third period action between the Crimson and River Hawks started with another Harvard goal. With Harvard on the break, a through pass from le Huray found Smith, as the England international received a pass, evaded a defender, and lobbed a shot into the top right corner of the cage for her first career goal, 4-0. From there, UMass Lowell would establish a rhythm offensively, as the visitors logged their first and only goal of the day with just over five minutes left in the third quarter, 4-1. The fourth quarter saw Harvard put the finishing touches on its first win of the 2026 season, as the Crimson regained control of the match by outshooting UMass Lowell, 6-3, across the final 15 minutes of action. Just two minutes and 17 seconds into the fourth quarter, Harvard found the back of the cage for the fifth time in the contest, as another quick counterattack led to Beekhuis netting her first goal of the season, 5-1. From there, Harvard contained the UMass Lowell attack and saw out the 5-1 victory on opening day. Harvard ended the day with 25 shots, 13 of them on goal, as the Crimson held the visitors to just nine shots across 60 minutes. For a second-consecutive season, five different Crimson find the back of the net against UMass Lowell, as sophomore goalkeeper and the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year Linde Burger finished with four saves. HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS - With its 5-1 win against UMass Lowell, Harvard has now won 96 consecutive contests against unranked teams. - Harvard has won 20 straight regular season contests, a streak that dates back to October 25th, 2024. - The Crimson have now won nine consecutive season openers. Harvard is 11-2 in season openers under the direction of head coach Tjerk van Herwaarden. - For a second-straight meeting, Harvard defeats UMass Lowell via a 5-1 scoreline, as five different Crimson also scored in last season's matchup against the River Hawks. - With the win, Harvard's all-time series against UMass Lowell stands at 9-0 in favor of the Crimson, as Harvard has outscored the River Hawks, 16-3, across the last four meetings. - Smith, a first-year forward from Sutton Valence, England, scored her first career goal in the third quarter. - Morris recorded her first career point with an assist in the third quarter. - Along with Smith, first-years Elin van Sante and Holly Hartley made their collegiate debuts for Harvard in the win against UMass Lowell. UP NEXT Harvard concludes opening weekend at Berylson Field on Sunday, Sept. 6, as the Crimson welcome No. 9 UConn for a 1 p.m. showdown in Cambridge. All the action from the top 10 tilt will air live on ESPN+ and admission to Berylson Field is free of charge. For all the latest on Harvard Field Hockey, follow the Crimson on Twitter (@HarvardFH) and Instagram (@harvardfieldhockey).