After a close loss to Towson in Maryland last weekend, the Yale women’s lacrosse team looks to regain its footing this Saturday afternoon when the Elis resume Ivy League play against Cornell.
With less than a month until the conclusion of the spring season, the Bulldogs (4–5, 0–3 Ivy) are hoping for a fresh start this weekend after losing three consecutive matches on the road, including against Ancient Eight rivals Brown (6–5, 2–1) and Harvard (5–5, 1–2). Despite the strength of Cornell (6–4, 2–1) this spring, the Elis remain unbeaten at Reese Stadium, giving Yale reason for confidence when they take on the Big Red at home.
“The upcoming Cornell game is a great opportunity for the Bulldogs to show they have what it takes to play as a team and get back on track,” Isabelle Webster ’21 said. “Mentally, the team is more focused than ever, and there is a tremendous amount of excitement to be back on our home turf after three challenging away games.”
This weekend’s upcoming competition comes after a stinging 15–13 loss against Towson. Much like in their previous matches against Brown and Harvard, the Elis struggled to hold on to an early lead. Despite scoring the game’s first goal, the Bulldogs trailed for the rest of the game as soon as the Tigers went up 3–2.
Still, strong showings from key offensive players bode well for the Bulldogs this weekend. Yale scored as many or more goals against Towson than five nationally ranked teams have scored against the Tigers this spring, including No. 7 Michigan and No. 14 Loyola. Yale has three players with 20 or more goals this season: midfielder Jill Gollob ’22 out 28, attacker Olivia Penoyer ’22 at 23 and midfielder Olivia Markert ’21 at 21.
Meanwhile, captain Izzy Nelson ’19 secured 12 draw controls against Towson, leading Yale to a 21–9 lead in that category. In March, Nelson broke the Ivy League career record for draw controls with her 296, a highlight of her final year of collegiate competition.
Despite returning to their home turf, the Bulldogs face a tough fight against Cornell, a longstanding thorn in Yale’s side that defeated the team 13–8 last year. The Big Red is coming off two lopsided victories — scoring 38 goals and 30 draw controls against Binghamton and Rutgers — and will look to bring that hot scoring to New Haven.
“Cornell is a crafty team that pushes the ball in transition, but hopefully they will be no match for our defense,” Webster said. “On the offense end, we have implemented some new plays that are sure to throw the Cornell defensive unit off their game.”
The women’s team’s match against Cornell is the first match of a doubleheader at Reese Stadium on Saturday, with the No. 5 men’s team taking the field immediately afterwards to defend against Dartmouth. Saturday is also Youth Day, and the match will be followed with an autograph-signing period for local children.
Looking ahead, the Elis have a busy April to round out the 2019 season, including key matches against other Ancient Eight opponents. After facing Cornell, the Bulldogs will test their skills against Columbia and local rival University of Connecticut before facing off against Ivies Princeton and Dartmouth on their home turfs.
The Elis take on the Big Red at Reese Stadium on April 6 at 12 p.m.
Alex Reedy | alex.reedy@yale.edu .