Yale Athletics

The Yale men’s soccer team will begin its 2023 season 7 p.m. this Friday at Reese Stadium with its game against West Virginia. Coaches and players alike have expressed their excitement for the season ahead, which is set to feature challenging matchups and opportunities for intra-conference revenge. 

Although this is the first game of the season, the team has been preparing for weeks with preseason training and exhibition games against Vermont and North York. Jake Schaffer ’24, this year’s captain, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s preseason work. Schaffer told the News that high levels of fitness and cohesion are standout factors for this year’s squad.

“As a collective, we are the fittest team I have been a part of since joining Yale,” Schaffer said. “I set extremely high standards for our fitness test, and everyone exceeded the standards. This being my final season, I personally feel a special connection with everyone in the group. I know that this is a team that will play for one another.” 

Friday’s game against West Virginia will be a critical step toward a successful season for the Bulldogs. In last year’s matchup, Yale defeated the Mountaineers in Morgantown with a late goal by Max Rogers ’24. This year, the Bulldogs will look to secure a win in front of their home crowd. Versatile midfielder Ryan Cote ’25 says that the home atmosphere provides additional motivation for players. 

“Playing at home just amplifies the excitement even more,” Cote said. “Last year, we struggled at home, so winning every game in Reese Stadium is a big goal of ours this season. We’re ready to battle this fall, and I hope as many fans as possible can join us — your support means so much more than you know.” 

Schaffer also commented on the importance of the home game. 

“We take pride in defending our home field and playing in front of anyone and everyone that comes out to support us,” he told the News. “The energy that [our supporters] provide in the stands is infectious on the field. I think that we have the best supporters in the Ivy League, maybe in the entire country.” 

Beyond their opening matchup, the Bulldogs have a schedule packed with games that should pique any supporter’s interests, including a visit to defending NCAA National Champions Syracuse on Oct. 18. Cote told the News that it is a privilege to play the national champions and that the team has been keeping an eye on the game for some time. 

Schaffer told the News that the team’s Sept. 23 game at Penn is also circled on the calendar. Penn topped the Ivy League Preseason poll this year, with Yale landing in fourth place. 

“They are the defending Ivy League Champions, and they beat us at home last year,” Schaffer said. “It is our opening Ivy League game and a chance for us to make a statement.” 

Other noteworthy games include the Harvard rivalry game on Oct. 14 in Cambridge, a tough fixture hosting UConn on Sept. 8 and the Bulldogs’ final regular season game against Brown on Nov. 4 in New Haven. Despite the exciting games ahead, both Cote and Schaffer emphasized that the team’s focus is always the next game at hand. 

This year, head coach Kylie Stannard is accompanied by Assistant Coaches Trevor DeMar Banks, Drew Crawford and Ken Krolicki. Together, they hope to help the Bulldogs win another Ivy League Championship, which they last took home in 2019. 

“We are excited about another very challenging schedule this year that I think has a chance to be a Top 25 strength of schedule,” Stannard said to Yale Athletics. “Unquestionably, our non-conference games will prepare us very well for the strongest and deepest conference slate since I have been at Yale. With four Ivy teams in the top 50 RPI last year, and ranked the fourth strongest conference in the country, I think it has a chance to be even stronger this year.”   

Schaffer told the News that beyond winning games and an Ivy League Championship, his goal as captain is to have no regrets at the end of the season. 

He called this no-regrets mentality — “individually sacrificing for a collective goal” — an important part of the team’s identity.

“I know that everyone will have given everything when it’s all said and done,” Schaffer said.

The Yale men’s soccer team will play a total of 16 games, seven within the Ivy League Conference and nine out of conference.