Courtesy of Sam Rubin
After losing six consecutive games by one goal, the Yale field hockey team seized victories over Dartmouth and Quinnipiac over the weekend.
Yale (4–9, 1–3 Ivy) took on Dartmouth (3–10, 0–4) on Saturday at home. The Bulldogs wasted no time in asserting their dominance over the Big Green, scoring twice in the first half with goals from forward Camille Scheyer ’20 and captain Bridget Condie ’20. Although Dartmouth tallied 15 shots in the half, Yale goalkeeper Sydney Terroso ’21 stood tall and saved all eight shots on goal. The Bulldogs continued the deluge of scoring with four goals in the second half en route to a resounding 6–0 win. On Sunday, Yale built upon its momentum with a 2–1 victory over local rival Quinnipiac (3–12, 1–4 Big East).
“Our mentality going into the Dartmouth game was a really calm kind of confidence, and this allowed us to attack aggressively but also play patiently in terms of building the play,” midfielder Imogen Davies ’21 said. “It was really fun to see everyone on the top of their game and just playing a really enjoyable and fun game.”
In the first quarter, Davies’ magnificent pass from the defensive end found Scheyer wide open in front of goal. In a one-on-one with Dartmouth goalkeeper Isabella Santucci, Scheyer maintained composure and sent the ball to the back of the net.
Although Dartmouth had 11 penalty corners in the first half, strong performances from Terroso and the Bulldogs’ defensive corner unit kept the Big Green scoreless. The Elis added to their lead within the first minute of the second quarter as Condie scored on a corner assisted by midfielder Sarah King ’21.
Despite entering halftime with a 2–0 lead, the Bulldogs did not show any signs of complacency. On a corner just three minutes into the second half, Davies played the insertion pass to midfielder Alissa Wong ’22, who allowed forward Olivia Levieux ’21 to send a shot into the bottom left corner of the goal. Levieux has been one of the team’s leading offensive contributors, netting a goal in each of the Elis’ four conference games.
After failing to score in the first four games of the season, Condie has also emerged as a reliable source of offensive production for the Bulldogs. Condie, who scored her second goal in the third quarter, has seven goals this season, tied with Levieux for the most on the team.
In the final period of play, Yale scored two goals in rapid succession. On the first, forward Anissa Abboud ’21 beat a defender before finding forward Kelly Dolan ’22, who had no problem slipping the ball past the netminder. Less than a minute later, forward Annina Zelkin ’20 scored her first career goal for the Bulldogs.
Zelkin’s goal capped off a dominant performance for the Elis. Playing in front of the Alumni Weekend crowd, the team appeared focused and determined throughout the game. Despite suffering so many narrow defeats this season, the Elis seemed more motivated than ever before.
“Going through adversity drew us together,” midfielder Théodora Dillman ’22 said. “We learned what it means to truly support one another and learned how to believe in one another even when fighting through results that weren’t what we wanted.”
In their second game of the weekend, the Bulldogs traveled to crosstown rival Quinnipiac. The Elis had a strong half frame after entering the break 1–0 down. In the fourth minute of the second half, Levieux scored on a penalty corner to even the contest. Condie then scored a fourth quarter goal to propel the Elis to a 2–1 victory.
This marks the first time that the Elis have been on the winning end of a closely contested game. Up until this weekend, the Bulldogs’ season has been characterized by close losses to talented teams. The win against Quinnipiac potentially marks a turning point that could give the Bulldogs momentum for their three remaining conference games in the season.
“I think we proved to ourselves most importantly that we can score and can come out of tough games with good outcomes,” Condie said. “I think the emphasis will be on having fun and enjoying the last couple weeks together.”
Yale travels south to Philadelphia to face the Quakers on Saturday at 12 p.m.
Drew Beckmen | drew.beckmen@yale.edu