Harvard–Yale soccer rivalry

Harvard-Yale soccer rivalry

Harvard Crimson Yale Bulldogs
Sport	College soccer
First meeting	Men: May 25, 1907 Harvard 1, Yale 1 Women: November 11, 1977 Harvard 2, Yale 0
Latest meeting	Men: October 2, 2021 Yale 0, Harvard 0 Women: October 1, 2022 Harvard 6, Yale 0
Next meeting	Men: October 22, 2022 Women: 2023
Statistics
Meetings total	Men: 108 Women: 46
All-time series	Men: Harvard, 54–41–13 Women: Harvard, 34–9–2
Largest victory	Men: Harvard 6–1 Yale (1977) Women: Harvard 6–0 Yale (2022)
Longest win streak	Men: 5, Harvard (1983–1988, 2006–2010) Women: 13, Harvard (1977–1989)
Longest unbeaten streak	Men: 7, Harvard (1957–1963) Women: 13, Harvard (1977–1989)
Current win streak	Men: 1, Harvard (2022–) Women: 4, Harvard (2018–)
Current unbeaten streak	Men: 2, Harvard (2021–) Women: 4, Harvard (2018–)

The Harvard–Yale soccer rivalry is a rivalry between Harvard University and Yale University. The men's series has been played regularly since 1907, while the women's teams have played since 1977. For over fifty years, the annual Harvard–Yale soccer game was played as a "curtain raiser" to the schools' gridiron football game, known simply as The Game. In addition to its varsity soccer teams which compete in the Ivy League, the two schools' intramural soccer champions have regularly featured in the annual Harkness Cup games, named after Edward Harkness, a benefactor of both universities.

History

The soccer rivalry between Harvard and Yale has been compared to the association football rivalry between Cambridge University and Oxford University.^[1]

Early years

Yale (white shirts) vs Harvard game in 1922^[2]

The early history of the soccer rivalry between the men's sides dates back to the 1870s, and is intertwined with the evolution of gridiron football and rugby union as sports.^[3][4] The two schools finally played each other in 1875,^[5] after Yale, which had been following soccer rules, agreed to play according to the rugby-style rules adopted by Harvard, and lost, 4–0.^[6][7]

From 1906 to 1925, both Harvard and Yale participated in the Intercollegiate Soccer Football League (ISFL), which included several East Coast colleges that would later be part of the Ivy League.^[8] During that period, Yale and Harvard each won the ISFL championship twice, based on their win-loss records for those seasons.^[8] In 1926, the league became known as the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association (ISFA).^[8] The ISFA declared Harvard, Yale, and University of Pennsylvania as joint champions for 1930, after each team finished the season undefeated, except for losing to each other, with Yale beating Harvard, 1–0.^[9]

Annual sports weekend

Through the 1980s, the Harvard–Yale men's soccer game was "a big part of the schools' traditional sports weekend"^[10] in November.^[11] In 1931, the annual Harvard–Yale soccer day took place on the Harvard Business School Field, with matches between their varsity, junior varsity, and freshman teams.^[12] Starting in 1935, intramural teams at Harvard and Yale began playing each other on the Friday before the main varsity gridiron football game, as part of the annual Harkness Cup competition, a series that was "uncommon if not unheard of elsewhere", according to an article in The New York Times.^[13]

In 1960, The Boston Globe suggested that the Harvard–Yale soccer game might be a bigger draw than the annual freshman football game for the first time, due to the popularity of Christian Ohiri, a Nigerian international who played for Harvard.^[14] In 1962, Sports Illustrated reported that the largest crowds on the Friday before The Harvard–Yale Game were at the soccer game and at the freshman football game, with approximately 3,500 people attending each.^[15]

In 1965, Yale defeated Harvard 6–3 in its first win against Harvard in soccer since 1956; they had tied in 1960.^[16] Future United States senator John Kerry, then a Yale senior, scored a hat-trick,^[17][16] which he has referred to as his greatest achievement as an athlete.^[17]

In 1985, The New York Times reported that although Harvard won the annual varsity soccer game, 4–1, Yale won the junior varsity soccer game, as well as the Edward S. Harkness Cup for winning all four matches between the two schools' intramural champions in men's soccer, women's soccer, tackle football, and touch football.^[13] It was the 27th time that Yale had won the Harkness Cup in the history of the series; Harvard had won 15 times, and the schools had split the trophy five times.^[13]

From the 1990s to present

In the 1990s, the Harvard and Yale men's soccer teams' seasons ended earlier than the gridiron football teams' seasons, contributing to the decline in fanfare surrounding The Game.^[18] While a 2000 article in The Harvard Crimson acknowledged that the women's soccer rivalry between the two schools "isn't as intense as the football version",^[19] the same newspaper reported in 2013 that coaches for both the Bulldogs and the Crimson agreed that the annual game between the two rivals' men's soccer teams "brings a special excitement beyond just a regular conference game."^[20] In 2011, the Yale Daily News noted that the Jonathan Edwards College men's soccer team was representing Yale in the Harkness Cup series for the second consecutive year after defeating Harvard's Kirkland House on penalty kicks in 2010.^[21]

In 2019, The Harvard Independent reported that "The Harvard women have proved themselves to hold power over the Yale soccer program, losing only once to the Bulldogs over the past 12 years."^[22] At the time, the Harvard women's varsity team had a 32–9–2 record against Yale; the men's team was at 55–39–12.^[22]

As of 2023, the Harvard and Yale varsity men's soccer teams have met 109 times, while the women's sides have played 46 times.

Men's results

Harvard victories

Yale victories

Tie games

No. Date Location Winner Score 1 May 25, 1907 Cambridge, MA Tie 1–1 2 April 11, 1908 Cambridge, MA Yale 1–0 3 March 20, 1909 New Haven, CT Tie 3–3 4 April 12, 1910 Cambridge, MA Harvard 3–0 5 April 11, 1911 New Haven, CT Harvard 3–1 6 March 27, 1912 Cambridge, MA Yale 4–0 7 April 12, 1913 New Haven, CT Harvard 2–1 8 September 8, 1914 New Haven, CT Harvard 3–1 9 November 9, 1915 Cambridge, MA Yale 2–1 10 November 8, 1921 Cambridge, MA Harvard 3–0 11 November 25, 1922 New Haven, CT Yale 1–0 12 November 23, 1923 Cambridge, MA Yale 4–2 13 November 21, 1924 New Haven, CT Harvard 2–1 14 November 21, 1925 Cambridge, MA Tie 2–2 15 November 20, 1926 New Haven, CT Harvard 3–2 16 November 18, 1927 Cambridge, MA Yale 3–1 17 November 24, 1928 New Haven, CT Yale 2–1 18 November 23, 1929 Cambridge, MA Harvard 2–1 19 November 22, 1930 New Haven, CT Yale 1–0 20 November 21, 1931 Cambridge, MA Tie 1–1 21 November 19, 1932 New Haven, CT Yale 2–0 22 November 24, 1932 Cambridge, MA Tie 2–2 23 November 21, 1933 Cambridge, MA Harvard 3–1 24 November 23, 1934 New Haven, CT Harvard 1–0 25 November 22, 1935 Cambridge, MA Yale 2–1 26 November 20, 1936 New Haven, CT Yale 3–0 27 November 19, 1937 Cambridge, MA Harvard 2–1 28 November 18, 1938 New Haven, CT Yale 2–1 No. Date Location Winner Score 29 November 24, 1939 Cambridge, MA Harvard 2–1 30 November 22, 1940 New Haven, CT Yale 2–0 31 November 21, 1941 Cambridge, MA Yale 2–1 32 November 20, 1942 New Haven, CT Yale 2–0 33 November 22, 1946 Cambridge, MA Yale 3–2 34 November 21, 1947 New Haven, CT Yale 2–1 35 November 19, 1948 Cambridge, MA Harvard 3–0 36 November 18, 1949 New Haven, CT Harvard 2–0 37 November 24, 1950 Cambridge, MA Yale 3–0 38 November 23, 1951 New Haven, CT Yale 1–0 39 November 21, 1952 Cambridge, MA Harvard 3–2 40 November 20, 1953 New Haven, CT Yale 3–0 41 November 19, 1954 Cambridge, MA Yale 1–0 42 November 18, 1955 New Haven, CT Harvard 2–1 43 November 23, 1956 Cambridge, MA Yale 2–1 44 November 22, 1957 New Haven, CT Harvard 4–2 45 November 21, 1958 Cambridge, MA Harvard 1–0 46 November 20, 1959 New Haven, CT Harvard 1–0 47 November 18, 1960 Cambridge, MA Tie 0–0 48 November 24, 1961 New Haven, CT Harvard 4–2 49 November 23, 1962 Cambridge, MA Harvard 3–1 50 November 22, 1963 New Haven, CT Harvard 3–2 51 November 20, 1964 Cambridge, MA Yale 3–2 52 November 19, 1965 New Haven, CT Yale 6–3 53 November 18, 1966 Cambridge, MA Harvard 4–1 54 November 24, 1967 New Haven, CT Harvard 2–1 55 November 22, 1968 Cambridge, MA Yale 3–1 56 November 21, 1969 New Haven, CT Harvard 3–0 No. Date Location Winner Score 57 November 20, 1970 Cambridge, MA Harvard 1–0 58 November 19, 1971 New Haven, CT Harvard 2–1 59 November 22, 1972 Cambridge, MA Harvard 4–0 60 November 21, 1973 New Haven, CT Yale 3–1 61 November 22, 1974 Cambridge, MA Tie 1–1 62 November 21, 1975 Cambridge, MA Harvard 2–1 63 November 13, 1976 Cambridge, MA Tie 1–1 64 November 11, 1977 Cambridge, MA Harvard 6–1 65 November 17, 1978 Cambridge, MA Harvard 1–0 66 November 16, 1979 New Haven, CT Yale 1–0 67 November 22, 1980 Cambridge, MA Harvard 2–1 68 November 12, 1981 New Haven, CT Yale 1–0 69 November 20, 1982 Cambridge, MA Yale 4–0 70 November 19, 1983 New Haven, CT Harvard 3–0 71 November 17, 1984 Cambridge, MA Harvard 1–0 72 November 23, 1985 New Haven, CT Harvard 4–1 73 November 16, 1986 Cambridge, MA Harvard 1–0 74 November 21, 1987 New Haven, CT Tie 0–0 75 November 19, 1988 Cambridge, MA Harvard 4–3 76 November 12, 1989 New Haven, CT Yale 1–0 77 September 22, 1990 Cambridge, MA Yale 2–0 78 September 28, 1991 New Haven, CT Yale 3–1 79 September 27, 1992 Cambridge, MA Harvard 2–1 80 October 15, 1993 New Haven, CT Yale 2–1 81 October 16, 1994 Cambridge, MA Harvard 4–1 82 October 14, 1995 New Haven, CT Harvard 3–1 83 September 28, 1996 Cambridge, MA Harvard 4–3 84 September 26, 1997 New Haven, CT Tie 2–2 No. Date Location Winner Score 85 September 26, 1998 Cambridge, MA Yale 5–4 86 September 25, 1999 New Haven, CT Yale 3–0 87 October 14, 2000 Cambridge, MA Harvard 3–2 88 September 8, 2001 New Haven, CT Harvard 4–2 89 October 19, 2002 Cambridge, MA Harvard 2–0 90 October 4, 2003 New Haven, CT Yale 1–0 91 October 2, 2004 Cambridge, MA Yale 1–0 92 October 1, 2005 New Haven, CT Yale 3–1 93 September 30, 2006 Cambridge, MA Harvard 3–2 94 November 17, 2007 New Haven, CT Harvard 4–0 95 October 4, 2008 Cambridge, MA Harvard 1–0 96 October 3, 2009 New Haven, CT Harvard 1–0 97 October 2, 2010 Cambridge, MA Harvard 1–0 98 October 1, 2011 New Haven, CT Yale 1–0 99 September 29, 2012 Cambridge, MA Tie 0–0 100 October 5, 2013 New Haven, CT Yale 2–1 101 October 4, 2014 Cambridge, MA Harvard 1–0 102 October 3, 2015 New Haven, CT Harvard 3–1 103 October 1, 2016 Cambridge, MA Tie 3–3 104 September 30, 2017 New Haven, CT Harvard 2–1 105 September 29, 2018 Cambridge, MA Harvard 1–0 106 October 4, 2019 New Haven, CT Yale 3–1 107 October 2, 2021 New Haven, CT Tie 0–0 108 October 22, 2022 New Haven, CT Harvard 2–1 109 November 10, 2023 Cambridge, MA Yale 4–0 Series: Harvard leads 54–42–13

Source:^[23]

Women's results

Harvard victories

Yale victories

Tie games

No. Date Location Winner Score 1 November 11, 1977 New Haven, CT Harvard 2–0 2 November 17, 1978 Cambridge, MA Harvard 1–0 3 November 11, 1979 New Haven, CT Harvard 2–1 4 November 1, 1980 New Haven, CT Harvard 3–0 5 November 13, 1981 New Haven, CT Harvard 4–1 6 November 6, 1982 Cambridge, MA Harvard 1–0 7 October 31, 1983 New Haven, CT Harvard 2–0 8 October 30, 1984 Cambridge, MA Harvard 2–1 9 October 29, 1985 New Haven, CT Harvard 3–0 10 October 28, 1986 Cambridge, MA Harvard 2–0 11 October 27, 1987 New Haven, CT Harvard 2–1 12 October 25, 1988 Cambridge, MA Harvard 2–0 13 October 24, 1989 New Haven, CT Harvard 1–0 14 October 23, 1990 Cambridge, MA Yale 1–0 15 October 22, 1991 New Haven, CT Harvard 2–0 16 October 20, 1992 Cambridge, MA Yale 1–0 No. Date Location Winner Score 17 October 16, 199 New Haven, CT Yale 2–0 18 October 15, 1994 Cambridge, MA Harvard 4–2 19 October 14, 1995 New Haven, CT Harvard 2–0 20 September 28, 1996 Cambridge, MA Harvard 2–1 21 September 27, 1997 New Haven, CT Yale 3–2 22 September 26, 1998 Cambridge, MA Harvard 2–1 23 September 25, 1999 New Haven, CT Harvard 1–0 24 October 14, 2000 Cambridge, MA Harvard 3–1 25 September 29, 2001 New Haven, CT Harvard 1–0 26 October 19, 2002 Cambridge, MA Yale 3–2 27 October 4, 2003 New Haven, CT Tie 0–0 28 October 2, 2004 Cambridge, MA Harvard 1–0 29 October 1, 2005 New Haven, CT Yale 2–1 30 September 30, 2006 Cambridge, MA Yale 1–0 31 September 29, 2007 New Haven, CT Yale 2–1 32 October 4, 2008 Cambridge, MA Harvard 3–1 No. Date Location Winner Score 33 October 20, 2009 New Haven, CT Harvard 3–2 34 October 2, 2010 Cambridge, MA Harvard 2–1 35 October 1, 2011 New Haven, CT Harvard 2–1 36 September 29, 2012 Cambridge, MA Harvard 1–0 37 October 5, 2013 New Haven, CT Harvard 3–1 38 October 4, 2014 Cambridge, MA Tie 0–0 39 October 3, 2015 New Haven, CT Harvard 4–0 40 October 1, 2016 Cambridge, MA Harvard 2–1 41 September 30, 2017 New Haven, CT Yale 3–0 42 September 29, 2018 Cambridge, MA Harvard 1–0 43 October 5, 2019 New Haven, CT Harvard 1–0 44 October 2, 2021 New Haven, CT Harvard 2–0 45 October 1, 2022 Cambridge, MA Harvard 6–0 46 October 28, 2023 New Haven, CT Harvard 5–2 Series: Harvard leads 35–9–2

Source:^[24]

See also

• Harvard–Yale football rivalry
• Harvard–Yale hockey rivalry
• Harvard–Yale Regatta

References

1. Risolo, Donn (2010). Soccer Stories: Anecdotes, Oddities, Lore, and Amazing Feats. Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press. pp. 18–19. ISBN 978-0-8032-3014-9.
2. Withington, Paul; Withington, Lothrop, eds. (1922). Book of Athletics. Boston: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. p. 467.
3. "Foot Ball Match: Harvard vs. Yale – Today in History: November 13". Connecticut History. November 13, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2022. Then a hodgepodge of soccer and rugby rules, early foot ball took inspiration for its attire from the first American rugby uniforms.
4. Cohane, Tim (1951). The Yale Football Story (1st ed.). G. P. Putnam's Sons. ASIN B0007E3JF2.
5. Bunk, Brian D. (2021). From Football to Soccer: The Early History of the Beautiful Game in the United States. University of Illinois Press. pp. 71–73. ISBN 9780252052781.
6. Anderson, Dave (November 20, 1983). "The Scene Before The Game". The New York Times. pp. S9. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
7. Sweedler, Maya (November 21, 2014). "FOOTBALL: A brief history of The Game". Yale Daily News. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
8. White, Edward G. (2022). Soccer in American Culture: The Beautiful Game's Struggle for Status. University of Missouri Press. pp. 106–107. ISBN 9780826274700.
9. "Collegiate League in Soccer Divides". The New York Times. January 11, 1931. p. 4S. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
10. Cadigan, Barry (November 11, 1986). "Redoubling their efforts: Harvard, Yale have NCAA berth, Ivy title in their sights". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2022-11-14 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Harvard Army Invades Yale: Five Crimson Teams Leave on New Haven Special". Boston Globe. 23 November 1934. Retrieved 2022-11-14 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Harvard–Yale Soccer Day". The New York Times. November 21, 1931. p. 23. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
13. Clymer, Adam (November 24, 1985). "Elis Dominate in Lesser Games". The New York Times. pp. S5. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
14. Kaese, Harold (November 16, 1960). "Olympic Soccer Ace at Harvard Setting Records". The Boston Globe. pp. 41, 43. Retrieved 2022-11-15 – via Newspapers.com.
15. Boyle, Robert H. (December 17, 1962). "The Harvards and the Yales". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2022-11-14 – via EBSCOHost.
16. "Eli booters vanquish Harvard". Boston Globe. November 20, 1965. p. 16. Retrieved 2022-11-15 – via Newspapers.com.
17. Hainey, Michael (August 31, 2004). "A Beer with John Kerry". GQ. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
18. Powers, John (November 16, 1993). "The Game just isn't the same". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2022-11-15 – via Newspapers.com.
19. Cacace, Rob (October 16, 2000). "Yenne's Hat Trick Sinks Yale, 3-1". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
20. Hebert, Theresa C. (October 4, 2013). "Men's Soccer Heads to New Haven". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
21. Guardado, Maria (November 17, 2011). "Harvard-Yale rivalry extends to IM games". Yale Daily News. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
22. Gummer, Elizabeth (November 21, 2019). "The Harvard-Yale Rivalry, Beyond Football". The Harvard Independent. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
23. "MSOC Record Book (2022)" (PDF). gocrimson.com. Harvard University Athletics. December 16, 2021. pp. 9–17.
24. "Women's Soccer Record Book" (PDF). gocrimson.com. August 9, 2022. p. 20.