After four straight shutouts, the Yale men’s soccer squad (0–5–2, 0–0–0 Ivy) looked to get back on track in an in-state rivalry match against Quinnipiac University (3–4–1, 0–0–0 MAAC) on Friday. However, the contest proved just more of the same for the Bulldogs, as they fell 1–0 to the Bobcats in overtime, giving up a 98th minute strike to Raphael Carvalho.
Once more, Blake Brown ’14 started over Ryan Simpson ’17 and performed admirably, recording three saves. However, the senior keeper was powerless in turning the tide of what head coach Brian Tompkins called Yale’s personal “Groundhog Day”: The Bulldogs defended hard for most of the game and yet again conceded a late winner. Yale has been unable to stave off these late game collapses all season, having lost four games thus far due to second-half winners.
As their late-game collapse streak continued, so did the Bulldogs’ scoring woes. Yale has now gone 480 minutes of game time without a goal, and has yet to secure a win of the year. However, the Elis have also dealt with what can only be described as simple bad luck during this scoring drought. The Bulldogs have played strong offense for most of the season by creating opportunities in almost every match.
Yale has repeatedly outshot their opponents during this stretch, doing so once more against Quinnipiac by recording 11 shots to the Bobcats’ 9. The Elis have also recorded double-digit shot numbers in six of their seven games. Unfortunately for Yale fans, the Bulldogs have proved incapable of finishing off their myriad of chances on goal, having scored just twice all year.
“It has been disappointing to not get the results we feel we deserve, but we have to keep our focus on the things we have control over: our effort, attitude and execution in games and in practices,” Tompkins said. “The mindset of the team has been good and they are positively focused on sharpening all areas of our play. Although it seems that we are defying the law of averages at the moment by not getting goals, we know that with belief and perseverance the goals will come.”
Teddy Mauze ’18, one of the Elis’ most promising freshmen, proved a bright spot in a frustrating evening for Yale. The first-year striker led the team with three shots, landing two on target that forced Quinnipiac’s Borja Angoitia into a pair of difficult saves. Angoitia now sits just four saves short of the all-time Quinnipiac save record, as Mauze’s shots provided just two of his six saves against Yale. But ultimately, Quinnipiac’s defense proved an impossible wall for the Elis as Angoitia turned aside each shooter for his 18th career shutout.
“We created lots of chances — but we just need to score them,” Henry Flugstad-Clarke ’17 said. “You have to take the season one game at a time, and so all thoughts are focused on [today’s game versus Fairleigh Dickinson].”
Yale will take on Fairleigh Dickinson on Tuesday in their final game before their Ivy competition opener against Harvard on Oct. 4.