Harvard Releases Women’s Soccer Schedule

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard women’s soccer team, the defending Ivy League champion, has released its 2009 regular season schedule, head coach Ray Leone announced this week. Leone, who is entering his third season on the Harvard sideline, has scheduled nine home contests, including eight at Ohiri Field, and seven road games.

In addition to its competitive Ivy League schedule, the Crimson will face nine non-conference opponents, including three that reached the 2008 NCAA tournament.

Harvard opens play with a home game against San Diego State Sept. 4, before traveling to Storrs, Conn., to face Connecticut the following afternoon. On. Sept. 8, the Crimson begins a two-game homestand against New Hampshire and will remain at Ohiri Field to host Long Beach State, an NCAA qualifier last season, Sept. 11.

Two days later, the team hits the road for a three-game stretch away from home beginning at Hofstra Sept. 13. Harvard then visits cross-town rivals Boston College Sept. 18 and Boston University Sept. 20. BC and BU both advanced to the 2008 NCAA Championship. The contest against BU will be broadcast by Fox Soccer Channel.

The Ivy League portion of the schedule begins Sept. 26, as the Crimson will host Penn. The team then closes out September by facing Holy Cross under the lights at Cumnock Turf in a night game Sept. 29. Harvard will travel to archrival Yale Oct. 3, before facing Fairfield at Ohiri Field Oct. 6, in the final non-conference contest of the year.

After visiting Cornell Oct. 10, the Crimson begins a stretch of three home games against Brown Oct. 17, Princeton, another 2008 NCAA tournament participant, Oct. 24 and Dartmouth Oct. 31. Harvard will close out the regular season with a night game at Columbia Nov. 7.

Last season, the Crimson won its eighth Ivy League title and earned the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Championship, the 11th occasion Harvard has reached the NCAA tournament. The team finished the 2008 campaign with a 10-3-5 record, including a 6-0-2 mark at home.

Harvard returns six All-Ivy selections from last fall, including Melanie Baskind, the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year. Rising senior defender Lizzy Nichols and rising junior midfielder Gina Wideroff will serve as team captains for the upcoming season.