Yale Athletics

The Yale men’s soccer team (8–5–2, 3–1–2 Ivy) traveled to Ithaca to face off against Cornell (8–4–2, 2–2–2 Ivy) this Saturday. With the teams tied atop in the Ivy standings, it was set up to be a hard-fought and decisive game. 

The Bulldogs got off to a hot start, with Max Rogers ’25 and Eric Lagos ’24 firing off a couple of shots in the opening minutes. In the 28th minute, a pass from Quanah Brayboy ’25 allowed Rogers to go on a run past the Cornell defense. Rogers slotted the ball into the net, giving Yale the 1–0 lead. A strong defensive performance prevented Cornell from registering any shots on goal in the first half, and Yale went into halftime with a one goal lead. 

Speaking with the News, defender and captain Jake Schaffer ’24 highlighted three of his teammates for their unseen work this year: Sam Harshe ’25, Diego Zaffanella ’26 and Jonathan Seidman ’25. 

“You won’t see any of them on the scorecard, but all three do a ton of dirty work — tackles, running, etc. — that helped us keep a clean sheet,” Schaffer said. 

In the second half, both teams had a few chances to score, but neither scored additional goals until late in the game. With only six minutes left, Brayboy tallied his second assist of the game as Lagos brought the score to 2–0 and sealed the win for Yale. 

Lagos and Rogers have a combined six goals and four assists over the team’s six conference games. Rogers attributed their success to the team’s understanding of their individual strengths, saying that they have been put in positions where they can shine. 

Rogers told the News he operates best in the half spaces and pockets between the opposition’s lines, where he can receive the ball on a half turn and have the option to pass, cross or shoot. As for Lagos, the forward thrives on balls played into channels and behind the defense, where he uses his exceptional pace and power to finish chances. 

Lagos told the News that his chemistry with Rogers is very good, and he hopes their connection and form carry on into the Ivy Tournament. 

“Max [Rogers] has been excellent at getting me chances in front of goal,” Lagos said. “I just have to keep focusing on putting them away. I definitely owe him a couple more assists this season.”

The win kept the Bulldogs first in the Ivy standings, tied with Penn (6–3–5, 3–1–2 Ivy) and Harvard (5–4–6, 3–1–2 Ivy). It also clinched them a spot in the first ever Ivy League Men’s Soccer Tournament. 

The tournament will see the top four teams in the Ancient Eight face off in a set of semi-finals determined by regular season seeding, both of which will be played on Friday, Nov. 10. The winner of each semi-final will advance to the championship game on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 1p.m. The champion’s season would then continue, as the tournament’s winner earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. While the team is proud of their season so far, team members told the News they know there the most important games lie ahead.

“We are absolutely thrilled to reach the Ivy Tournament, but it is no less than what we expected of ourselves coming into the season,” Rogers said. “The message in the locker room is definitely that the job is nowhere near done.”

The regular season’s final gameweek will determine the regular season champions — who will also get the advantage of hosting the Ivy Tournament. With a three way tie atop the table, each team’s final regular season game will be crucial. In almost all scenarios, a tie for first place would not favor the Bulldogs based on the tie-breaking rules. Therefore, Yale will look to pick up more points this weekend than Harvard and Penn. 

With the seeding up in the air, each team will be only focused on the game in hand. This does not mean, however, that all postseason matchups are created equally in the eyes of Yale players. 

“There are no teams that we want to avoid in the tournament, but there is one that we hope to play — Harvard,” Schaffer said. 

According to the captain, the team wants a chance to avenge their regular season loss to their biggest rivals. 

Yale’s final regular season game will be against Brown (5–4–6, 2–0–4 Ivy), the only team in the Ivy yet to lose a conference game. With Brown’s spot in the postseason tournament on the line, the Elis can expect the game to be intense until the very last minute. 

The Bulldogs final regular season game will be played on Saturday, Nov. 4 at Reese Stadium in New Haven.