Courtesy of Geoff Williams

On Saturday, the Yale women’s crew team brought the Eisenberg Cup back to New Haven after a convincing win against the Princeton Tigers on Lake Carnegie in New Jersey. 

With four of the six races decided in a margin of five seconds or less, the event was packed with intensity and showcased the power and potential of the Bulldogs. 

The Princeton Tigers have historically been a strong team to face. Last year, the Tigers took the Eisenberg Cup, prevailing by 5.2 seconds in the first varsity eight boat. The Tigers continued to dominate on the water last year, winning four of the five races, with only Yale’s second varsity eight boat prevailing by 1.2 seconds. The 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons ended similarly, with the Bulldogs barely falling to the Tigers by 2.0 and 4.2 seconds, respectively. 

This year, however, the Bulldogs broke that streak. 

Varsity Eights take Lake Carnegie

The first varsity eight for the Bulldogs emerged on top with a winning time of 6:03.8, 3.5 seconds ahead of Princeton’s 6:07.3. After taking the lead in the first 1,000 meters, Yale stalled out a big Princeton surge in the middle stretch of the race. The Bulldogs sat bow to stern with the Tigers before opening a touch of clear water at the line.

The Friends of Yale Women’s Crew Head Coach Will Porter, who recently celebrated his 25th year with the team, expressed approval of the team’s preparation and performance on race day.

“Every boat did a good job of staying focused on our plan and executing it well every stroke down the course,” Porter told the News. “It is not about the opponent, it is about YWC and trying to go as fast as we can down the track.” 

The second varsity eight boat continued the winning streak for the Bulldogs after their finish of 6:16.3 closely edged out the Tigers’ 6:17.5. The tight 1.2-second margin kept the crews in overlap from start to finish, and the second varsity eight team showed their resilience and focus during intense situations. 

Last year, Yale’s second varsity eight boat also finished narrowly ahead of Princeton, with only 1.6 seconds separating the boats at the line. 

Closing out the varsity eight events, Yale’s third varsity eight team emerged victorious in a heated race against the Tigers, rowing away by just over a whole boat length. With all the varsity eight times being within seconds of each other, the races were decided by a mere series of strokes, and Porter recognized the challenge of staying focused and calm on race day. 

Varsity four boats seal the deal

The Bulldogs’ first varsity four also prevailed over the Tigers in the largest blowout of the day, with the quartet crossing the line in 6:57.6, 10.7 seconds ahead of Princeton.

The second varsity quartet took their race with a commanding lead of 9.7 seconds, and their time of 7:08.3 was enough to finish several boat lengths ahead of Princeton’s 7:18.0. 

To close out the day, Yale’s third varsity quartet crossed the finish line first in 7:26.9. The three-second margin was the most competitive one of the quartet races for the day. 

The consistent dominance across the board in both close and runaway races showcased the Bulldogs’ strength and grit. 

This Saturday, the Bulldogs will travel to Cambridge, Massachusetts to face Harvard at the Case Cup. Last year, Yale retained the Case Cup on home ground at the Housatonic River, prevailing over Harvard Radcliffe by 7.7 seconds. The 2022-2023 and 2021-2022 seasons ended in similar blowouts, with the Bulldogs crossing the line ahead of the Crimson with margins of 9.9 and 13.53 seconds, respectively. 

Porter expressed the team’s excitement for facing Harvard as the final race before the Ivy League Championship. 

“We always look forward to racing Harvard. Facing your rival brings out your best. We hope to give them a good race,” Porter told the News. 

This year’s race will be held on the Charles River, a river in Eastern Massachusetts between Hopkinton and Boston.