Fresh off their first win of the season on-the-road, the Yale women’s soccer team will travel once again in search of another first – their first league win of the season.
The team will travel to Hanover, New Hampshire, to face Dartmouth in a crucial Ivy League matchup on Saturday.
The Bulldogs (4-6-1, 0-2 Ivy) are hoping to ride the momentum from their 2-0 win over Saint Peter’s College into the weekend match up against Dartmouth (3-5-1, 1-1 Ivy). The team has already dropped two close contests against Princeton (0-1)and Harvard (1-2), and must win if they want to keep their hopes of winning an Ivy League title alive.
Head coach Rudy Meredith said that because of the magnitude of the game, the Elis will not be content with anything less than a win.
“We have to go for the win, we can’t go for the tie,” Meredith said.
Meredith said the team will have to convert scoring chances and score early, the Bulldog’s recipe for success last week against Saint Peter’s. Containing Dartmouth’s offense will also be key, Meredith added.
“I think we’re definitely going to have a quality practice and work on shooting and finishing,” Meredith said. “We can’t make any dumb mistakes in the back.”
The Bulldogs will also have to overcome a strong Big Green defense. Dartmouth’s defensive line is allowing an average of a 11.7 shots per game, with only 4.3 of those coming on goal.
“Their defense doesn’t give up a lot of goals, so we’re going to have to work hard to beat their defense,” Meredith said. “I think they’re a very hard working team, but we have to match their work ethic.”
Dartmouth’s team comes into the game following a 2-1 loss to Princeton last Saturday, and they will be looking to improve on their .500 Ivy League Record. the Bulldogs came out on top, 2-0, in their most recent meeting against Dartmouth last season, but the Big Green lead the all time series against Yale 18-16-2.
The game is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. at Burnham field in Hanover.
Contact Maria Guardado at maria.guardado@yale.edu .