Yale Athletics

The Yale field hockey team (10–6, 3–4 Ivy) traveled to New Jersey on Saturday, Nov. 2 to face No. 13 Princeton (12–4, 7–0 Ivy) for a chance to keep their Ivy League tournament dreams alive. Ultimately, they lost the contest 0–1 and will not attend the tournament.

The Bulldogs looked to take down the Princeton Tigers, undefeated in the conference and number one in the Ivy League. In 20 years, Yale field hockey has never beaten Princeton.

At the beginning of the match, it looked like that losing streak could end. The Bulldogs controlled the momentum of the game from the first period. Led by Ymre Massee ’28 and Ellie Barlow ’25, Yale posted a 6–1 shot advantage, putting pressure on the Tigers early on. 

Within both the first and second periods, Alexa Pitts ’25 held Princeton, a team known for their ability to put goals on the board, scoreless. Pitts had two saves in the first half and six total, one shy of tying a career-high.

The Yale critical defensive play happened midway through the third quarter. Pitts made a tough save, kicking away a shot from a Tiger player, and the follow-up shot hit the post and was cleared away by Hettie Whittington ’27. The game remained scoreless heading into the final quarter.

The Bulldogs’ last scoring chance came during a penalty corner early in the fourth quarter. Yale could not convert. 

Princeton was awarded a penalty corner with three minutes left in the game. During the corner, a shot from a Tiger player was blocked by the body of Colette Staadecker ’25, a crucial save, but after video review, Princeton was awarded a stroke. 

Princeton selected Beth Yaeger, the NFHCA National Offensive Player of the Week, to attempt the stroke. Yaeger snuck the ball past Pitts, which put the Tigers up 0–1. This would be the game’s only goal.

This 0–1 loss marked the first time Princeton was held to one goal or less since Oct. 6, a testament to the Bulldogs’ skill and determination.

“Missing the tournament was devastating,” Lauren Venter ’26 wrote to the News. “We worked incredibly hard toward that goal every single day. Although the final outcome wasn’t what we felt we deserved, I’m incredibly proud of our growth and all that this team has accomplished. We took down top-20 programs and fought hard against some of the best teams in the country. We reached milestones, achieving the most program wins in a season since 2018. This is just the beginning—we’ll come back stronger and more focused, ready to build on this season’s achievements.”

With the loss to Princeton, Yale fell to fourth in the Ivy League, tied with Cornell. Their fate, now out of their hands and into the paws of the Columbia Lions, proved bleak. 

On Sunday, Columbia (6–9, 3–4 Ivy) beat Dartmouth (3–13, 0–7 Ivy) and secured the fourth and final spot in the Ivy League tournament, closing this season’s chapter for Yale Field Hockey.

With the end of the season, the team says goodbye to seven seniors: Barlow, Keely Comizio ’25, Julia Freedman ’25, Nicole Gotthardt ’25, Pitts, Lily Ramsey ’25 and Staadecker.

“Something I loved about the 2024 season was having the chance to be on the field with my entire class, who are also my best friends,” Pitts wrote to the News. “It’s been incredible to play alongside them, sharing both the highs and the lows. Knowing this was our last season together made every game and every practice feel that much more meaningful.”

The Bulldogs finish their season with an overall record of 10–6 and a winning percentage of .625.