Courtesy of Yale Athletics

The No. 4 Yale men’s lacrosse team (7–3, 3–2 Ivy) was upset by No. 17 Brown (7–4, 2–2) by a score of 20–13 on Saturday afternoon. The loss ended a four game winning streak for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs were unable to keep pace with a high-powered Brown offense that scored 11 second-half goals which ultimately propelled the Bears to the win.

“Brown beat us soundly and completely. They out-coached, out-hustled and out-played us. I was extremely impressed with their team,” head coach Andy Shay said to Yale Athletics. “They earned this one. Hopefully this is the humility we need moving forward.”

The Bulldogs entered the matchup on a high note, having defeated No. 16 Boston University and Dartmouth by a combined score of 45–21, but were quickly brought back to reality by a much stronger Brown team. 

The trouble for Yale started early, despite a first quarter that ended in a 4–4 tie. Even with an advantage at the faceoff circle, as Nicholas Ramsey ’24 went 7–9 in the first quarter, the Bulldogs were unable to take the lead before the second quarter. Yale committed seven turnovers in the first frame. 

In the second quarter, the game was more tightly contested, with the Bulldogs entering halftime down only one goal, and with Brown up 9–8.

However, the second half would prove to be Brown’s. The Bears took the game over, dominating on both offense and defense. When the dust settled on a half to forget for the Bulldogs, Brown had won 20–13. 

“Complete credit to the players, that was entirely a players’ game,” Brown head coach Mike Daly said to Brown Athletics. “Unbelievable for our seniors to keep the team focused even after last week’s game and they just kept grinding today. It was a complete team effort, the guys on the sideline were dialed in, they gave us a great week of practice and it was as complete of a team win that we’ve had this year.”

The Bulldogs’ defense struggled to adjust to a Brown offense that was firing on all cylinders, as the Bears showed their depth throughout the afternoon.

Brown had three players with four goals, preventing the Bulldogs from being able to key in on one player, as the goals came from all directions. Even Colin Hart, the Bears’ starting long-pole midfielder, had two goals in transition. 

Before the game, the Bulldogs knew they were in for a tight and competitive matchup against a Brown team who had most recently claimed victory against No. 11 Penn. The win over Penn was undoubtedly the biggest of the season for the Bears as it catapulted the team from being unranked to the number 17 spot in the country, according to Inside Lacrosse. Six of the seven Ivy teams currently feature in the national poll.

“Brown is a great team and will be a tremendous challenge for us this week,” attackman Matt Brandau ’23 said before the game. “They are coming off of a huge win last week so I am excited to see how we respond.”

Brandau was the leader for the struggling Yale offense, as he was one of the few players that seemed able to break down the Brown defense. The attackman finished with four goals and three assists as he continued his strong season in the leading role for the Elis. 

Despite allowing 20 goals, Yale goalie Jared Paquette played well, finishing with 15 saves. Paquette ranks seventh in the nation currently with an average of 14 saves per game.

The Bulldogs will look to regain their form in their return to Reese Stadium after three straight away games next Sunday at noon against the University of Albany.