Yale Athletics

Sunday afternoon, the Yale women’s soccer team (8–4–1, 2–1–1 Ivy) triumphed against Princeton (8–4, 3–1 Ivy) thanks to two goals by Alanna Butcher ’25 and a final score of 2-1.

Before the matchup, Princeton sat tied for first place in the Ivy League with Columbia (6–3–3, 4–0 Ivy), and neither team had a conference loss in the 2024–25 season.

Yale, coming off a tough 0–2 loss to Brown (5–3–4, 2–1–1 Ivy) last week, returned home to packed stands looking to make a name for themselves with a win over an excellent Princeton team.

The Tigers sauntered into Reese Stadium; the previous year, they had bested the Bulldogs 3-1.

Action in the first half began in no time, with the first corner kick of the game going to Yale at 1:32 and a shot by Belle Golden ’26 following soon after. The Bulldogs maintained control of the ball for the entire first half, with loud commands from captain Nana Yang ’25 directing her team from the backfield. 

At 17:55, a precise pass from Ellie Rappole ’25 allowed Butcher to send the ball over the head of the sailing Tiger goalkeeper and into the net. 

Within five minutes of the first goal, Butcher had the Tigers back on the chopping block. Receiving a high ball from Vienna Lundstedt ’28, she drove home another left-footed shot that mirrored the first. The Bulldogs quickly had the advantage, 2-0. 

These were Butcher’s first two goals of the season and the only multi-goal game for any Yale player this season.

“Alanna has been so steady all year,” Head Coach Sarah Martinez wrote. “She does what we ask and does all the little things right. She has been very good for us in the buildup and has been giving us great service from wide areas all year – today, I am happy she was rewarded with goals that she deserves.”

Huddling up around the goal, the sting of defeat already marred the Orange and Black uniforms. No plan, however, trumped the defense that Yale fashioned together.

As the second half began, Princeton pressed hard. Forced to stay disciplined defensively, the Bulldogs continually knocked the ball away from goalkeeper Anna Shamgochian ’28, taking pressure off an intense 45 minutes. 

“That was our message at halftime,” Martinez wrote to the News. “We knew Princeton would turn it on late, and we had to stay locked in with our intensity.”

At 68:07, the Tigers cut the deficit in half on a hard goal that slipped past the hands of Shamgochian. This only intensified the pressure of the clock for Princeton and tightened the strength of the defense for Yale.

With less than a minute of regulation left, a soaring kick by Princeton midfielder Brooke Dahaware appeared to onlookers like the tying shot. Ringing off the woodwork, the Bulldogs held onto their lead and allowed the clock to run out.

The team excitedly stormed the field, having snapped the Tigers’ four-game win streak. Moreover, the Elis are the first Ivy opponent to score any goals against Princeton and the first team to score multiple goals against the Tigers.

This was one of the most physically intense games the Bulldogs have played so far this season. Three yellow cards were handed out, and countless players were pushed or tripped. Martinez’s team prepared for this, encouraging her team “to be sure [they] were physical and brought the intensity.” 

With this win, Yale is tied for third place in the Ivy League with Brown, while Princeton drops to second place. Columbia still sits first with their win over Dartmouth (6–5–2, 0–3–1 Ivy).

Looking forward to next weekend, Martinez wrote to the News that she plans to stick with the approach  she  preached to her team.

“We are staying committed to a one-game-at-a-time approach,” she wrote. “Now all we are thinking about is Cornell and continuing to build on momentum. Our message all year to our group has been that when we play our brand—come out on the front foot—we can play with and beat anyone. They showed that tonight, and I am so proud of our group.”

The Bulldogs venture west to Ithaca, New York to face Cornell (2–7–4, 1–3 Ivy) on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 1 p.m.