University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
(12-9)
Harvard
(19-1)
Huskies Fall to Harvard in Elite 8
11/16/2025 3:07:00 PM | Field Hockey
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – UConn lost a hard-fought battle to Harvard with a final score of 1-0 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament this afternoon.
The Huskies opened strong defensively, denying Harvard's lone penalty corner of the first quarter forcing Lara Beekhuis to shoot wide at 6:15. UConn then earned three consecutive corners but couldn't find the back of the cage. Pien Prins had two shots saved (10:19, 10:51), and Fien Hollander saw her attempt blocked (10:20). The first quarter ended scoreless at 0-0.
Early in the second, Lene Bujes had a shot blocked before Harvard broke through at 18:30, converting a penalty corner for the 1-0 lead. UConn continued to press, with Bujes forcing a save from Linde Burger, while goalkeeper Natalie McKenna came up clutch, denying a stroke attempt by Martha le Huray at 29:47. The Huskies entered halftime trailing 1-0.
UConn pushed hard in the third quarter, earning a corner that led to a blocked shot from Julia Bressler. McKenna anchored the defense with two key saves, one on Tilly Butterworth's corner attempt at 42:38 and another alongside a defensive stop by Prins at 44:30. The score remained 1-0 heading into the final 15 minutes.
In the fourth quarter, McKenna continued to shine, recording her fourth save on Harvard's seventh corner and another at 56:08 before leaving at 56:59 to give UConn an extra field player for the closing offensive push. Despite relentless effort on both defense and offense, the Huskies couldn't find the equalizer, ending with a score of 1-0.
UConn concludes an impressive 2025 season with a 12-8 overall record, including 6-1 in conference play and 6-7 non-conference.
Team Stats
Martha le Huray (5)
GOAL by HARVARD Martha le Huray (FIRST GOAL), goal number 5 for season.
18:30
