Courtesy of Yale Athletics

After a resounding 24–14 victory against Columbia (2–11, 0–5 Ivy), the No. 24 Bulldogs fell 14–10 to the No. 6 Stony Brook Seawolves (13–2, 5–0 AEC). 

The Bulldogs (10–4, 6–0 Ivy) have managed to keep their undefeated streak against other Ivy League opponents alive thus far but face a tough opponent in No. 12 Princeton this Saturday.

“[We are focusing on] handling the game with composure no matter the time and score,” Chloe Conaghan ’24 said.

The Bulldogs have had a historic season, earning their first 6–0 Ivy start in program history. With just one regular season game left against Princeton, they are aiming for an undefeated season in the conference. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, have yet to get a victory against a ranked opponent. Only one of these two streaks can remain the case after Saturday’s matchup against Princeton. 

In Saturday’s game against Columbia, Yale was in full control from start to finish, dropping 10 goals to Columbia’s two in the first quarter. By the third quarter, the Bulldogs took their foot off the gas, allowing seven goals and only scoring three. But they soon picked up the pace, answering back with seven in the fourth to Columbia’s two. 

The Elis shared the goals across the board, with 13 players putting up points against Columbia. The leading scorers were rookie standouts Fallon Vaughn ’25 and Taylor Everson ’25, who each put up four goals, and Olivia Markert ’22, who got a hat trick in the matchup.

As usual, much of the offense was facilitated by Liv Penoyer ’23, who racked up eight points across two goals and six assists. 

“I am extremely pleased with the way our team competed and put together a complete game. We had contributions from so many women, which was special,” head coach Erica Bamford said. 

On Monday, the Elis put up a great fight against No. 6 Stony Brook University, but ultimately fell a few goals short of victory.

Rookie Taylor Lane ’25 had a great showing on the day, scoring six and also getting an assist. 

The Bulldogs started off incredibly strong, leading 4–1 at the end of the first quarter. The Seawolves started to claw their way back in the second quarter, however, and the game remained close until midway through the third. But ultimately, Yale’s stamina faltered in the third quarter, and it was not able to make up for it in the fourth.

At the beginning of the season, Kelsey Dunn ’22 commented on how she — and her teammates collectively — felt going into this season as a senior after a long pandemic-induced hiatus.

“Regardless of the results this season, it’s my last time putting on the Yale jersey and getting to play with my best friends,” Dunn said.

The Bulldogs’ passion has served them well this season, and it will be exciting to watch them be a serious contender in the Ivy Tournament after proving the preseason poll wrong throughout the regular season. The upcoming match against Princeton is doubly important, as it will dictate who hosts the Ivy Tournament on May 6 and 8.

Princeton has also had an exemplary season despite lofty preseason expectations. The team’s record stands at 10–3 in aggregate, and 5–0 in the Ivies thus far, with matchups against Columbia and Yale remaining before it closes out regular season play. At the helm of the Princeton team is senior attacker Kyla Sears, who has put up 65 points with 42 goals and 23 assists for her team and is one of the 25 women’s nominees for the Tewaaraton Award.

The women’s lacrosse team will face off against Princeton on Saturday, April 30 at 3 p.m. in Princeton, New Jersey in their final game ahead of the Ivy Tournament.