Yale Athletics

This past weekend at Reese Stadium, the Men’s Soccer team kicked off conference play against Cornell with a final score of 1–0, in a first win in an Ivy opener since 2019. The Big Red lost for the first time this season.

Midway through the second half, TJ Presthus ’25, the team’s captain, capitalized on a penalty kick opportunity, securing a victory for the Bulldogs and three points in the Ivy standings. 

“I thought our mentality and belief coming out of the second half was excellent and felt we were on top of them for the first 30 minutes and certainly earned the goal,” Head Coach Kylie Stannard said. “As with any tight game, and especially in conference play, things get hectic in the last few minutes, but our guys stayed disciplined and found a way to get it done. That is who we can be.” 

The first half was a defensive battle between the two squads. Both sides only managed one shot on goal, and neither was able to secure a corner kick. 

The Bulldogs picked up pace in the second half, securing six corner kicks within 15 play minutes. At the 65th minute, things looked promising for the Bulldogs when Teague McCammon ’28 nearly scored a header off one of those corners.

The sixth corner proved fatal for the Big Red, whose Danny Lokko was called for a handball inside the box. This gave Yale a golden opportunity with a penalty kick.

Presthus blasted a shot into the top left corner, out of reach for Cornell keeper Ryan Friedberg. 

“Yale had a spell at the beginning of the second half where we couldn’t clear our lines from a couple of corners, and that’s ultimately where their goal came from,” John Smith, Cornell’s head coach, said to Cornell Athletics.

After that, the Bulldogs locked Cornell out of securing the equalizer. Goalkeeper Chris Edwards ’25 had three saves, picking up his first clean sheet of the year.

Edwards wrote to the news that Saturday’s win was “huge” for the Bulldog’s season, as every game in the conference is difficult.

“Overall, it was a great team performance and is something we can use to keep building,” Edwards wrote to the News. “Over the past few weeks, a lot of guys have stepped up. Right now, we’re playing solid team soccer with everyone working hard and playing for the teammates beside them.”

Monday afternoon, Presthus was recognized for his recent outstanding performances and was named the Ivy League defensive player of the week. Presthus has not only held down the Bulldogs’ back line but has also scored two game-winners in Yale’s last two contests. 

Presthus’ four goals this season lead the team’s tallies and account for half of his eight career goals for the Bulldogs.

At the beginning of the season, he was named a “player to watch” by the United Soccer Coaches — one of 16 Division I defenders named to the list, and one of two Ivy League players. Back in August, he was also named a preseason All-American by Top Drawer Soccer.

In Saturday’s contest, Yale improved to 8–0–1 against Cornell over its last nine matchups against the Big Red. 

The Bulldogs will next face Albertus Magnus College at home on Wednesday, Oct. 2.