Yale Athletics

This past weekend, Yale Field Hockey started the season with two away games in Pennsylvania; the team won against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (2–2) and the Drexel Dragons (2–2). 

On Friday, the Bulldogs (2–0) routed the Mountain Hawks 6–1 with five different players scoring. In the Sunday game against Drexel, the Bulldogs battled through overtime to secure a 2–1 win against the Dragons.

In the first game, Ellie Barlow ’25 got the ball rolling for the Eli’s just after the ten-minute mark of the game. Poppy Beales ’26 hammered home two more goals in the following 20 minutes. Hettie Whittington ’27 then swept on a corner to give the Bulldogs a commanding 4–0 lead.

Lehigh tried to bounce back with a goal from senior Guusje Hogendoorn, but with two more goals tacked on for the Elis from Ymre Massee ’28 and Lauren Venter ’26, Yale claimed its decisive first victory of the season. The Bulldogs outshot Lehigh 21–9, with senior goalie Alexa Pitts ’25 making three key saves to help keep the Bulldogs on top.

The last time Yale won by five or more goals was a 6–1 win against Hofstra University in October 2021. 

Friday’s game also saw six Yale first years make their varsity athletic debuts. 

The Bulldogs have seven new players this season, with first years tying the senior class for most players on the team. Head Coach Melissa Gonzalez and team captain Keely Comizio ’25 were excited about the talent brought by the first year class.

“We have an incredible group that both competes and supports each other,” Gonzalez wrote to the News. “It’s exciting to see their development on and off the hockey pitch. They work hard for one another, and it creates a fantastic environment to be a part of.” 

In the Sunday game against Drexel, the Bulldogs battled through overtime to secure a 2–1 win against the Dragons. Drexel struck first with a goal at the 16-minute mark by Anna Castaldo; however, Barlow tied up the game with a goal assisted by Whittington. 

Both teams took a shot in the second half, but the score remained even when the clock ran down. The game went into overtime, with a goal from Chiara Picciafuoco ’28 clinching the win for the Bulldogs. 

Goalie Pitts had an outstanding game, with a career-high seven saves, all coming after halftime. 

This season’s preseason was shorter than it historically had been, according to Comizio.

“This year, we’ve done a great job of picking up right where we left off in the spring,” Comizio wrote the News before she left campus for weekend games. “We made significant progress, and it’s incredible to see how excited and committed everyone is to achieving our goals. With a short preseason, it was crucial to hit the ground running, and I think the team has really excelled at that.”

The victories mark a turn for the Bulldogs, who had a losing record last season. 

The Bulldogs mount their next campaign this Friday, Sept. 13, at Fairfield University.

“Our primary goal [this season] is continued improvement,” Gonzalez wrote to the News before the first two games. “We’re a process-oriented team, committed to consistent growth. We want to get better day by day, week by week, game by game, and throughout the season.” 

Bulldogs will host their first home game this Sunday, Sept. 15, with the first conference matchup against Brown University.