Tag Archive: W. Soccer

  1. W. SOCCER | Elis split opening weekend

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    The women’s soccer team got its season underway last weekend, with a 2–1 win at Hartford on Friday, followed by a 1–2 loss at Stony Brook on Sunday.

    Against the Hartford Hawks (1–1–1), the Bulldogs (1–1–0) fell behind just eight minutes in. Caitlin Alves burst down the flank and crossed from one yard off the goal line to find an unmarked Amelia Pereira, who chipped the ball into the net to make it 1–0. Pereira came close to doubling Hartford’s lead minutes later when she struck wide. However, as the half proceeded, Yale began to find its rhythm, almost drawing level in the 39th minute with a shot by Mary Kubiuk ’13, saved by opposition goalie Erin Quinlan.

    Hartford came out strong in the opening minutes of the 2nd half, but Eli keeper Adele Jackson-Gibson ’13 fended off a shot from Natasha Douglas. Both sets of defences showed good discipline, leaving very little space for the offenses to make plays. But the introduction of Paula Hagopian ’16 — accompanied by Head Coach Rudy Meredith’s decision to switch to an audacious 3–4–3 — opened the game up. Yale started attacking down the wings, and 81 minutes in, the Elis had their equaliser, with freshman Ally Grossman capitalising on a rebound to smash home.

    The Bulldogs pushed for the winner. With less than a minute left on the clock, Hagopian picked up the ball on the flank and crossed into the box, where Kristen Forster ’13 shot first time to give Yale the victory.

    Meredith said other than conceding the goal, the defense played well this game.

    “We were much improved in the 2nd half, and hopefully in the next game we can play like that all the way through,” Meredith said. “I was impressed with the spirit shown by the team. It’s been a while since we’ve scored two goals so late.”

    The Elis failed to carry their momentum into Sunday’s game against Stony Brook. The Seawolves, playing their sixth game of the season, came out firing on all cylinders, though Jackson-Gibson staved them off with four saves in the opening half hour. But in the 31th minute, Stony Brook’s persistent attack on the Yale goal paid off.

    Larissa Nysch capitalised on some poor marking to head in Kristen Baker’s corner and score her first goal of the season.

    Yale came into its second game of the season with less competitive play than the Seawolves, and Meredith said communication gaps were present all over the field and the team needed to improve in the final third.

    The second half started off much like the first, with Stony Brook (4–1–1) enjoying the lion’s share of possession. But the Elis held them off with some resolute defending. Jackson Gibson was particularly impressive, finishing the game with 9 saves.

    The game ebbed and flowed, but sprung to life in the last 10 minutes. Melissa Gavin ’15 whipped a low cross into the box for Paula Hagopian to equalize with six minutes to play. Just two minutes later, Stella Norman punished Yale’s ineptitude at defending corners to put the Seawolves back ahead, setting up a frantic end to the game. Hagopian came agonizingly close to snatching a point for the Bulldogs, striking the post in the 88th minute. Despite Yale’s onslaught on the Stony Brook goal, the Seawolves held out and handed Yale to its first loss of the season.

    Stony Brook finished the game with 20 shots, 12 if them on target. Yale meanwhile, fired eight shots and just three on target.

    Jackson-Gibson said coming back from a goal down in both games served as a source of inspiration for team going into the rest of its competitive season. But the second game also showed the team it still has a lot to work on, she added.

    “We were poor at defending corners today,” Meredith said. “Other than that, I was pretty happy with the performance … We need to step up our first half performance, I loved the spirit shown by the girls, but it would be nice to not to go a goal down early. We don’t want to become the comeback kids.”

    Yale will hope to bounce back fast from their defeat for the first home game of the season against Sacred Heart. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

  2. W. SOCCER | Elis pursue strong start

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    The women’s soccer team kickstarts its season this weekend with away games at Hartford on Friday and Stony Brook on Sunday.

    The Bulldogs possess a squad at full strength and are boosted by the return of goalkeeper Adele Jackson-Gibson ’13 from injury.

    “We’ve focused a lot on defence in pre-season,” head coach Rudy Meredith said. “We conceded several goals last season in the later stages of games, and we hope to improve on that.”

    Last season the Elis finished with a 9-5-3 overall record and 4-2-1 conference record. In order to improve on that, Yale will be relying on Kristen Forster ’13 and captain Jenny Butwin ’13 to control the game from midfield, while 2011 Ivy Rookie of the Year Melissa Gavin ’15 is a vital cog in Yale’s offense.

    Friday’s opponents, the Hawks, have already got their season underway, playing out a 1-1 draw against Fairleigh Dickinson, followed by a 3-2 victory over Old Dominion. Freshman forward Elise Galipo has been outstanding for the Hawks so far, with a goal and two assists to her name in just two games. With four winning seasons in the last five years, the Hawks will be formidable opposition, in large part due to their head coach, John Natale, who was a member of the coaching staff for the U.S.A. women’s soccer team at the 2012 Olympics in London.

    In contrast, Stony Brook has had a mixed start to its season, having lost and drawn its first and second match respectively, but the Seawolves are now on a two game winning streak. Last week’s 3-0 win over Big East rival St. John’s was particularly impressive, with America East Player of the Week Caitlin Pfeiffer firing on all cylinders. Yale’s last game against Stony Brook in 2009 ended in a 2–1 loss for the Elis, with the winner determined by a goal deep into extra time.

    Heading into this weekend, the Bulldogs remain upbeat. Jackson-Gibson said that the the team this year has a strong freshman class and good chemistry and will go into the weekend looking for nothing less than two wins.

    Meredith added that two shutouts would be optimal, and spectators should expect close games.

    The Elis will face Hartford away at 7 p.m. on Friday night. They will then travel to Stony Brook for a 2 p.m. game on Sunday.

    Correction: Sept. 3, 2012

    An earlier version of this article misstated the date of the women’s soccer team’s game against Stony Brook, and misquoted Adele Jackson-Gibson ’13.

  3. W. SOCCER | With win over Brown, Yale takes third

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    It seemed only fitting that on Senior Night, midfielder Enma Mullo ’12 provided the game-winning goal in the women’s soccer team’s match against Brown at Reese Stadium.

    In her final game in the Blue and White on Saturday, Mullo scored in the 39th minute to give the Elis (9–5–3, 4–2–1 Ivy) a 1–0 lead that would hold up despite constant Brown (10–5–2, 3–3–1) attacks in the second half. Mullo and captain Miyuki Hino ’12, who missed all season because of a torn ACL, were both honored prior to kickoff.

    “It’s a great way to end the season for our team, and especially for Enma and Miyuki, so I was very happy with that,” head coach Rudy Meredith said. “I was happy for Enma, and I’m happy with our kids’ effort today. They didn’t give up.”

    The game capped a stellar senior campaign for Mullo, as she led the team with eight goals and 20 points — both career highs.

    Mullo said she has yet to fully realize that her college soccer career has come to a close.

    “I don’t think it’s hit me yet,” Mullo said. “I still feel like I’m going to have a day off tomorrow and come out to practice. I’m just really happy that we won.”

    During the first half, the Elis controlled possession and outshot the Bears 12–5.

    The Bulldogs generated an early chance just 12 minutes into the game after Mullo sent in a corner kick that hit the crossbar. The rebound found midfielder Meredith Speck ’15, but Speck’s header went just wide of the net.

    The Bears had a dangerous chance of their own at the 17:38 mark, when forward Chloe Cross took a pass from forward Eliza Marshall and unleashed a shot that forced rookie goalkeeper Elise Wilcox ’15 to dive to her right to make the save. Wilcox finished with 10 saves to post her first career Ivy League shutout and her third shutout for Yale.

    While Brown also did not give up a goal into well into the first half, the defense struggled to clear the ball past midfield. The Elis came close to getting on the board in the 28th minute after forward Melissa Gavin ’15 came down the far side, cut in and fired a shot that hit the crossbar. The rebound deflected to forward Mary Kubiuk ‘13, but her shot also bounced off the crossbar and was cleared by the Brown defense.

    But the Bulldogs finally capitalized in the 39th minute with Mullo’s eighth goal of the year. Gavin set up the goal by playing a through ball ahead for Mullo, who sped past the Bears’ back line and dribbled into the box before blasting a shot into the upper right corner of the net.

    “I kind of just kicked [the ball] through hoping someone would get there, and Enma got there and made a really nice shot,” Gavin said.

    Still, Brown came out stronger after halftime and outplayed Yale for the remainder of the match with an 11–3 edge in shots in the second half.

    The Bears had a golden opportunity to equalize in the 47th minute when a Yale foul gave them a free kick just outside the box, but midfielder Sarah Hebert–Seropian’s shot sailed just above the crossbar.

    Seconds later, a turnover in the box gave Brown another chance. Cross rocketed a shot towards the net, but Wilcox dove to her right and pushed it wide to keep the Bears off the board.

    Yale appeared to get an insurance goal in the 55th minute after Mullo fired a shot that Brown goalkeeper MC Barrett stopped but could not secure. The deflection allowed Kubiuk to slip the rebound into the back of the net. But the referee nullified the play with an offside call to keep Yale’s advantage at 1–0.

    “We didn’t capitalize on the opportunities we had,” Mullo said. “If we had gotten a second [goal], I think [the Bears] would’ve slowed down. But they thought they could win it, so they kept coming after us.”

    In the last 10 minutes of the game, the Bears began pressuring the Elis’ defense with flip throw-ins from defender Alison Mullin. In the 77th minute, Mullin sent a throw-in into the box for forward Emily Wingrove, but her header went wide of the net.

    Gavin said she hadn’t been expecting flip throw-ins during the last 10 minutes of the game and said Yale was lucky the Bears did not score on them.

  4. W. Soccer | Elis vie for 2nd in Ivies

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    The women’s soccer team wraps up its 2011 season with a matchup against Brown this Saturday at Reese Stadium.

    Though Harvard’s 2-1 win over Dartmouth on Saturday knocked the Elis out of the race for the Ivy League title last week, the Bulldogs can still clinch second place with a combination of a win over Brown and a Penn loss. Yale (8-5-3, 3-2-1 Ivy) and Brown (10-4-2, 3-2-1) are currently tied for third-place in the Ivy League, alongside Columbia.

    The game will be the last for the team’s two seniors, captain Miyuki Hino ’12 and midfielder Enma Mullo ’12, who will both be honored prior to kickoff.

    “If we somehow managed to [finish in second] after all these injuries it would definitely be considered a successful season, under the circumstances,” head coach Rudy Meredith said.

    The Bulldogs last played on Sunday when they earned a 2-2 tie against Columbia. Though a pair of goals from Ashlin Yahr gave the Lions a 2-1 lead midway through the second half, Mullo scored with just eight minutes left on the clock to tie the game and force overtime.

    Mullo currently leads the Elis with seven goals and 18 points this year. After a five-point performance over two games last week, forward Melissa Gavin ’15 earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors on Monday for the second time this season. Gavin has racked up a team-best six assists and is tied with Mullo for the team lead in points.

    Brown will also enter the matchup coming off a deadlock after tying Dartmouth, 0-0, last Saturday. The Bears have not lost a game since falling 2-1 at Harvard on Oct. 15.

    Forward Eliza Marshall has led the Bears’ attack this year with six goals and 15 points. Fellow strikers Kiersten Berg and Chloe Cross have also added four goals each.

    Brown also features one of the stingiest defenses in the conference. The Bears’ defense has allowed just 13 goals this year, and its seven shutouts this season rank second in the Ivy League.

    “We have to be really, really patient and try to figure out ways to open up their defense by getting the ball wide so we can spread their defense out a little bit,” Meredith said.

    Goalkeepers MC Barrett and Amber Bledsoe have both seen time in front of the net for the Bears. The duo have posted 0.70 and 0.77 goals against averages, respectively, which rank second and third among Ancient Eight keepers.

    In last year’s season finale, Kristen Forster ’13 and Mary Kubiuk ’13 both scored to power the Elis to a 2-1 win over the Bears in Providence.

    Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Reese Stadium.

  5. W. SOCCER | Final road game ends in tie

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    The Yale and Columbia women’s soccer teams entered the weekend with identical league records. But after facing off in a 110-minute battle, their league records remain identical, as the Bulldogs (8-5-3, 3-2-1 Ivy) and Lions (6-9-1, 3-2-1) played to a 2-2 draw on Sunday night at Columbia Soccer Stadium.

    Following a scoreless first half, Yale scored midway through the second half to seize a 1-0 lead, but then saw it erased on a pair of goals from Columbia forward Ashlin Yahr. Still, the Bulldogs fought back and knotted the contest when midfielder Enma Mullo ’12 scored a goal with just eight minutes left to force the game into overtime.

    Though the scoreboard did not reflect it, Yale outplayed Columbia throughout the first half and outshot its rival, 12-2. Despite dominating possession, Mullo said the Bulldogs struggled to generate quality scoring opportunities because the Lions’ back line prevented them from getting past the 18-yard box.

    “I think we were just shooting from so far away,” head coach Rudy Meredith said. “We weren’t getting shots on goal because we were basically shooting from the parking lot.”

    But the Bulldogs adjusted after halftime and finally struck in the 62nd minute with forward Melissa Gavin’s ’15 sixth goal of the year. Gavin took a cross from Meredith Speck ’15 and fired it into the back of the net to put Yale on the board, 1-0.

    But the Bulldogs’ lead was short-lived as Columbia responded just 1:08 later with a goal from Yahr. Defender Shannon FitzPatrick played a ball ahead of Yahr, who earned a one-on-one with Bulldog goalkeeper Elise Wilcox ’15 and converted to knot the contest.

    “[Columbia’s] first goal was really questionable,” Mullo said. “Our whole back line was up, and [Yahr] was all alone in no man’s land. Everyone assumed she was offside because she was all alone, and the ref didn’t call it. It was pretty weird.”

    Three minutes later, Yahr netted her second goal of the night to give the Lions a 2-1 lead. Yahr took a feed from Marissa Schultz and finished with a strike from 15 yards out.

    But the Bulldogs fought back and scored the equalizer in the 82nd minute after Gavin connected with Mullo, who then drilled a 20-yard shot past Columbia goalkeeper Lillian Klein.

    “I think that we did a good job of staying in the game and not getting frustrated,” Gavin said. “We showed a lot of urgency in the second half.”

    The final eight minutes of regulation were scoreless, forcing the game into overtime.

    Forward Mary Kubiuk ’13 had a chance to end the game just 23 seconds into the extra period, but her 20-yard attempt was saved by Klein.

    Columbia countered in the second overtime with a shot from Yahr, but Wilcox turned it aside to keep the game deadlocked.

    With just 2:15 left on the clock, the stadium lights turned off, stopping play for 15 minutes.

    “That was probably the most entertaining part of the match,” Meredith said. “Our kids were dancing like they were at Toad’s, so it was pretty funny.”

    Though Gavin managed to get one last shot off in the final minute of overtime, Klein was there to make the save, ending the Bulldogs’ final road game of the year in a tie.

    The Elis close out their season on Saturday when they host Brown on Senior Night. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. at Reese Stadium.

  6. W. SOCCER | Non-conference schedule ends with shutout

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    The women’s soccer team closed out its non-conference schedule on a high note with a 4-0 defeat of Saint Peter’s on Monday night at Reese Stadium.

    Forward Mary Kubiuk ’13 scored twice in the first half, and the Bulldogs (8-5-2, 3-2 Ivy) added a pair of goals after halftime to hand the Peahens’ (2-14-1) their third consecutive loss. The Elis finished with a 37-9 edge in shots. In her fourth start of the season, goalkeeper Elise Wilcox ’15 made three saves to post her second shutout for the Bulldogs — the team’s sixth this season.

    “I think this game was important for us to get back on track and show a 100 percent effort for 90 minutes,” Kubiuk said. “We wanted to come out and have a better effort than we had against Penn this weekend,”

    On Saturday, the Bulldogs fell 2–0 at Penn. The loss broke a three-game win streak.

    Against the Quakers, the team was hurt by a slow start. But this was not the case Monday night.

    Dominating possession throughout the first half, Yale played predominantly on the Peahens’ half of the field and outshot Saint Peter’s 17-2.

    The Bulldogs got on the board just 12 minutes into the match with Kubiuk’s first goal of the night. Midfielder Juliann Jeffrey ’14 fired a shot from the top of box that Saint Peter’s goalkeeper Caitlin Hoffer deflected. But Kubiuk fielded the rebound and shot the ball just inside the far post to give Yale an early 1-0 lead.

    Kubiuk added a second goal in the 27th minute to double the Bulldogs’ advantage. Forward Melissa Gavin ’15 set up the goal by sending a shot into the box that Hoffer fumbled. The ball bounced out in front of the near post and was heading towards the end line, but Kubiuk quickly retrieved it and chipped it over Hoffer into the back of the net.

    “That’s a prime example of a play that was just based on effort and not giving up,” head coach Rudy Meredith said. “That’s the type of play we need from our team.”

    The Elis did not allow a shot until the 40th minute when Peahen midfielder Jamie Lisanti came down the far side of the field and sent a cross into the box. Wilcox came out to intercept the cross but fumbled the ball. Lisanti came in to get her own rebound, but her shot hit the side of the net.

    Despite a 2-0 lead, Yale did not let up its attack after halftime and continued to test the Peahens throughout the second half.

    The Elis pressured the Peahens with back-to-back corner kicks in the 60th minute, but they could not capitalize on either attempt.

    “We had a lot of crosses today, and I said that I thought we were more afraid of crosses than Dracula,” Meredith said. “I made a joke on the bench because we couldn’t do anything with crosses.”

    Still, Saint Peter’s threatened in the 73rd minute when forward Emily Fenice fired a shot that forced Wilcox to dive to the right for a save.

    But the Elis found the back of the net for the third time at the 76:13 mark when midfielder Meredith Speck ’15 took a pass from forward Melissa Gavin ’15 and beat Hoffer with a left-footed shot.

    Just as the final minute of the game was winding down, the Bulldogs struck for the final time. Forward Anne Song ’13 buried a 20-yard shot inside the far post and landed her first goal of the season.

    “I think it was really important that we kept pushing and didn’t give up a goal,” Kubiuk said. “It was nice to get two more goals [after halftime].”

    The Bulldogs are off until Saturday when they travel to New York to face Columbia.

    Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.

  7. W. SOCCER | First half sinks Elis

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    After winning three consecutive games, the women’s soccer team lost some ground in the race for the Ivy League crown with a 2-0 loss at Penn on Saturday.

    The Quakers (12-2, 4-1 Ivy) scored twice in the first half to build a 2-0 lead from which the Elis (7-5-2, 3-2) could not recover. It was Penn’s seventh consecutive win and 11th shutout of the year.

    “We lost to a better team,” head coach Rudy Meredith said. “They outclassed us. We were the Honda Civic and they were the Mercedes.”

    The loss knocked Yale down to a third-place tie with Columbia in the Ancient Eight rankings. The Bulldogs now stand four points behind first-place Harvard, which maintained its hold of the top spot with a 2-1 win over Princeton on Saturday.

    Penn got off to a fast start and began pressuring the Bulldogs from the opening minutes of the match. The Quakers fired six shots and earned two corner kicks within the first 20 minutes of the game.

    “We came out flat,” midfielder Enma Mullo ’12 said. “We should give a lot of credit to [Penn] because they came out flying. Personally, I don’t think we have played another team this season that has come out as strong as they did.”

    Still, the Bulldogs created a dangerous scoring chance on their only shot of the first half. In the 21st minute, Mullo played a ball through Penn’s back line to forward Meredith Speck ’15, who got behind the defense and earned a one-on-one with Penn goalkeeper Sarah Banks. But Banks rushed out to block Speck’s shot with her feet and then secured the rebound before anyone else could get a shot off.

    “I think that would have changed the game had we scored,” Mullo said. “We would have stolen the momentum. But we once again couldn’t finish our chances, so we paid for it.”

    Five minutes later, the Quakers found the back of the net when midfielder Theresa Yankovich took a cross from forward Kathryn Barth and fired a left-footed shot inside the near post to give Penn a 1-0 advantage.

    The Quakers pushed their lead to 2-0 at the 31:28 mark after defender Colleen Barry sent an arching cross towards the far post for Barth, who then headed it into the net.

    Penn outshot Yale 8-1 in the first half and also had a 4-0 edge in corner kicks.

    “I thought that we came out a little slow in the first half, and by the time we realized how big of a hole we dug ourselves into we couldn’t get ourselves out of it,” forward Melissa Gavin ’15 said.

    The Quakers continued to generate chances after halftime, but goalkeeper Elise Wilcox ’15 made six of her career-high seven saves in the second half to keep Penn off the board for the remainder of the game.

    Though the Bulldogs took five shots in the second half, they could not direct any of them into the back of the net. Kristen Forster ’13 had a final shot for the Elis at the 88:59 mark, but Banks turned it aside to preserve Penn’s 2-0 lead.

    The Elis will look to get back in the win column tonight when they host Saint Peter’s in their last non-conference game of the season. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Reese Stadium.

  8. W. SOCCER | Elis take on defending Ivy champs

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    This Saturday, the women’s soccer team will test itself against the team with the longest active win streak in the Ivy League.

    The Bulldogs (7–4–2, 3–1 Ivy) will put their own three-game win streak on the line as they attempt to deny Penn its seventh consecutive win. The outcome of the game could have a major impact on the Bulldogs’ chances for the Ivy League crown as Yale and Penn (11–2, 3–1 Ivy) are currently tied for second place in the Ancient Eight standings,one point behind first-place Harvard.

    “This is clearly the biggest game of the season for both Penn and us, because obviously we want to stay close to Harvard,” head coach Rudy Meredith said. “I know both teams are excited and probably a little bit nervous. It’s a huge, huge game.”

    After winning three consecutive games, the Bulldogs have built up momentum going into the Penn matchup. Last week, the Elis cruised to a 3–0 victory over Fairfield on Tuesday and then defeated Cornell2–1on Saturday to close out the week.

    Despite the team’s recent success, Meredith said the Bulldogs still need to work on maintaining a high level of play throughout theentire game. In the past, he said, the team has played well for up to 70 minutes of the game, but not the full 90.

    “We’ve just got to play more consistently,” Meredithsaid. “We need to play a full 90-minute game well if we want to have any chance of beating Penn.”

    After scoring twice off free kicks in last week’s game against the Big Red, midfielder Enma Mullo ’12 currently leads the team with six goals, four assists and 16 points. Forward Melissa Gavin ’15 has also added 13 points on five goals and three assists to help buoy Yale’s offense.

    On Monday, freshman goalkeeper Elise Wilcox ’15 earned the honor of Ivy League Rookie of the Week after she shut out Fairfield during her first career start in goal. Last Saturday against Cornell, she made two saves to help defeat the Big Red.
Though Penn opened Ivy League play with a 2–0 loss at Harvard, the Quakers have not lost a game since.

    Penn is coming off six consecutive games and has outscored opponents 20–1 during that stretch. The Quakers, last year’s Ivy champions, are coming off a 2–0 win against Dartmouth, which Yale defeated 4–1 earlier this season. Penn has scored a league-best 31 goals this season while yielding only six goals.

    Forwards Kathryn Barth and Marin McDermott lead the Quakers offensively and have racked up 17 and 16 points respectively this season. McDermott is currently the league’s top scorer with seven goals, while Barth was named the Ivy League Player of the Week on Monday after scoring both goals in Penn’s 2–0 win over Dartmouth last weekend.

    The Quakers have also been strong defensively and rank first in the Ancient Eight in shutouts with six this year. Goalkeeper Sarah Banks owns a league-best 0.54 goals against average and has been beaten only five times in net.

    Last year, Penn defeated Yale 1–0 at Reese Stadium.

    Kickoff is slated for 5 p.m. at Rhodes Field in Philadelphia.

  9. W. SOCCER | Elis extinguish Big Red in OT

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    At the end of the women’s soccer match with Cornell on Saturday, a crowd of young soccer players surrounded Enma Mullo ’12 to get autographs and take pictures with the star of the game.

    The midfielder, who had converted two free kicks including the game-winner in overtime, led the Bulldogs to a 2-1 victory over the Big Red on Saturday night at Reese Stadium. The win allowed Yale to remain in a second-place tie with Penn in the Ivy League standings, just one point behind first-place Harvard.

    Though the Bulldogs (7-4-2, 3-1 Ivy) outshot Cornell, 24-10, in the game and took a 1-0 lead into halftime, the Big Red (2-10-1, 0-3-1) scored early in the second half to knot the game and then withstood Yale’s dangerous attacks to force overtime. Cornell hung on until Mullo scored in the 97th minute to give the Elis the win.

    “This is one of those types of games where if you don’t put your chances away, it could come back to bite you, and it almost happened today,” head coach Rudy Meredith said. “I give our kids a lot of credit. They kept fighting and pulled it out and got the W. It’s a big, big win for us.”

    Freshman goalkeeper Elise Wilcox ’15, who made her first career start against an Ivy League opponent in Saturday’s game, finished with two saves.

    “It’s nervewracking, being a freshman, but the team has been nothing but supportive, especially the defensive line and the other freshmen,” Wilcox said. “I know that I can be confident in goal because my team is behind me.”

    The Bulldogs controlled possession for the majority of the first half, generating multiple scoring chances early on.

    Forward Melissa Gavin ’15 nearly got the Bulldogs on the board in the 18th minute after she took a feed from Mullo and blasted a shot towards the net, which forced Cornell goalkeeper Megan Bartlett to make the first of her nine saves in the contest.

    Two minutes later, midfielder Juliann Jeffrey ’14 fired a shot from just outside the box, but Bartlett turned it aside.

    In the 20th minute, defender Lauren Mathy ’13 was taken down by a Cornell player, setting up a free kick for Mullo just outside the left side of the box. Mullo capitalized by curving a shot into the upper corner of the far post to give Yale a 1-0 lead.

    “It’s what she practices,” Meredith said. “She’s the opposite of Allen Iverson. Allen Iverson doesn’t want to practice, but she wants to practice those shots, and that’s why she’s making them.”

    The Elis continued to pressure the Big Red, even in the final minute of the first half. Forward Mary Kubiuk ’13 received a pass from forward Frannie Coxe ’15 and directed a left-footed shot towards the net, but Bartlett was there to make the save.

    Yale finished the first half with a 10-3 shot advantage.

    “We talked about knocking the team out with the second goal, but we just couldn’t get the second goal today,” Meredith said. “That was frustrating. I think if we had gotten the second goal we would have been okay, but we just didn’t get that second goal, and that was a problem.”

    Still, Cornell fought back to tie the game just two minutes into the second half. Forward Xandra Hompe shot the ball from 18 yards out past a diving Wilcox and into the inside of the near post to knot the game, 1-1.

    But the Bulldogs threatened in the 50th minute when midfielder Kristen Forster ’13 stole the ball from a Cornell defender and dribbled into the box. Forster then passed the ball to Mullo, but Mullo’s shot sailed high over the net.

    Hompe had a dangerous opportunity for Cornell in the 59th minute with a high shot that hit the crossbar.

    Midfielder/forward Meredith Speck ’15 almost broke the tie in the 78th minute when she came down the far side of the field, cut into the box and sent a shot in that beat Bartlett, but a Cornell defender managed to clear the ball off the line to deny the Bulldogs.

    Cornell continued to fend off Yale’s attacks for the remainder of regulation to force the game into overtime. At the end of the second half, the Elis had a 23-8 edge in shots.

    “I think we were pretty confident in our ability,” Mullo said. “We just needed to finish. I don’t think any of us doubted that we could, so we had really good spirit going into overtime.“

    The first two shots in overtime belonged to the Big Red, but in the 95th minute, a Cornell defender was called for a foul after knocking over Forster, giving the Elis a free kick just outside the box. Mullo converted by drilling her shot over a wall of Big Red defenders, out of Bartlett’s reach and into the back of the net. Afterwards, the Yale bench stormed the field to celebrate the win.

    “It was amazing,” Mullo said. “It felt really good because I come out early before practice to take free kicks with our goalie coach. It feels really good to be able to execute what you practice so hard for.”

    The Elis are off until Saturday when they continue Ivy League play with a match against Penn. Kickoff is slated for 5 p.m.

  10. W. SOCCER | Elis adopt “knockout” philosophy

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    The women’s soccer team has a new motto: “knockout, no decision.”

    The Bulldogs adopted the saying after falling to Harvard, 2–1, last Saturday — when several team members disagreed with the referee’s decision to award the Harvard Crimson the game-winning goal on an overtime penalty kick. To avoid losing again based on an official’s call, the Elis have decided to score enough goals to stay well ahead of opponents — to “knockout” opponents in the box.

    “We have to win games by two or more goals, so if the referee makes a bad decision, it doesn’t cost us the game,” head coach Rudy Meredith said.

    The Elis (5–4–2, 2–1 Ivy) stayed true to their new mantra Saturday night as four different players found the back of the net to power the team to a 4–1 win over Dartmouth (3–8, 1–2) at Reese Stadium.

    The Bulldogs scored twice in the first half and added another goal early in the second half to seize a 3–0 lead. Though the Big Green got on the board with a goal in the 77th minute, the Elis responded with a fourth goal just two minutes later to keep the game out of Dartmouth’s reach.

    Before playing Dartmouth, the Elis had not scored more than two goals in a game this season. Though the Bulldogs finished with just a slight 10–8 edge in shots, five of those shots were on goal.

    “It was really nice for us to come back and beat [Dartmouth] the way that we did tonight,” forward Melissa Gavin ’15 said. “I think that we were really disappointed after last week and we wanted to reaffirm how good we know we are.”

    During the game, Gavin scored her fourth goal of the year.

    The Big Green had a chance to strike first in the 14th minute when midfielder Chrissy Lozier curved a free kick into the box to fellow midfielder Ally Dutton, but Dutton’s header went wide of the net. Five minutes later, Yale took a 1–0 lead after midfielder Enma Mullo ’12 passed to Gavin, and she drilled a 20-yard shot into the upper left corner of the net.

    “I knew I had a shot, and I was like, ‘If I miss this, they’re going to kill me,’” Gavin said. “So I had to take it, and it just went in.”

    The Bulldogs extended their lead at the 30:47 mark when Gavin fed a ball through to Kristen Forster ’13, who split two Dartmouth defenders in the box and beat Big Green goalkeeper Colleen Hogan with a low shot inside the far post.

    But the game took a scary turn in the 34th minute when goalkeeper Adele Jackson-Gibson ’13 jumped to make a save and collided midair with a Dartmouth player. The Big Green player was able to get up and walk off the field, but the Elis’ keeper was sent to the hospital with a dislocated shoulder, an injury Meredith said could end the season for her.

    Meredith called the prospect of losing Jackson-Gibson as a starting goaltender “devastating.”

    Freshman keeper Elise Wilcox ’15 came in to replace Jackson-Gibson for the remainder of the game. Wilcox also played last month against Boston University.

    When play resumed about 30 minutes later, the Bulldogs continued to pressure the Big Green defense. The Elis earned three corner kicks in the final four minutes of the first half, but Dartmouth was able to clear all the attempts to keep Yale’s advantage at 2–0 when the buzzer sounded halftime.

    In the second half, the Bulldogs scored a third goal on a free kick just outside the penalty box. Mullo placed the shot over a wall of Big Green defenders and out of Hogan’s reach to put Yale ahead, 3–0.

    The Big Green cut the deficit to 3–1 after midfielder Emma Brush fired a shot from 33 yards out into the back of the net 13 minutes before the end of the game.

    But the Elis reestablished their three-goal lead just two minutes later. Forward Frannie Coxe ’15 headed a ball into an open space for Mary Kubiuk ’13, who caught up to the ball and cut into the right side of the penalty box before sliding the ball past Dartmouth keeper Sam Fearer. It was her first goal of the year.

    “I feel like it’s been coming for a while,” Kubiuk said, “so it was nice to finally get [a goal].”

    Kubiuk said the team’s ability to keep a solid lead would help the players’ confidence in future games.

    The win boosted the Elis up to a four-way tie for second place in the Ivy League alongside Penn, Brown and Columbia. The Elis stand just one point behind first-place Harvard, who tied Cornell, 2–2, over the weekend to retain its place atop the rankings.

    “I think this was probably the most important week of the season for us,” Meredith said. “I’m very proud of [the team’s] effort today.”

    The Bulldogs are back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Fairfield University for a non-conference matchup.

    Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.

  11. W. SOCCER | Elis hope to extend streak

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    The women’s soccer team will seek to improve in Ivy League play when it takes on Dartmouth this Saturday at Reese Stadium.

    The Elis (4–4–2, 1–1 Ivy) will look to get back in the win column after suffering a tough 2–1 overtime loss to archrival Harvard last Saturday. Though the Bulldogs took an early 1–0 lead on a goal from Meredith Speck ’15, the Crimson came out stronger after halftime and tied the game midway through the second half. Harvard’s Peyton Johnson then scored the game-winning goal in overtime on a penalty kick that was given after a controversial handball was called in the box.

    After splitting its first two league contests, Yale currently stands in a four-way tie for third in the Ivy League alongside Dartmouth, Penn and Brown. Head coach Rudy Meredith said this weekend’s matchup with the Big Green will be key if the Bulldogs want to remain in the hunt for the Ivy League crown.

    “We have to bounce back and play well,” Meredith said. “If we want any chance of winning Ivies, we can’t lose again.”

    Speck and forward Melissa Gavin ’15 have both scored a team-high three goals this season and also lead in points along with midfielder Enma Mullo ’12.

    Goalkeeper Adele Jackson-Gibson ’13 has started all of the games in front of the net this year and has posted a 0.87 goals against average while stopping 40 shots.

    In last season’s meeting between Dartmouth and Yale, the Bulldogs came away with a 3–1 win in Hanover, N.H. Kristen Forster ’13 and Mary Kubiuk ’13 both netted goals to help power the Elis past the Big Green. The Bulldogs are currently riding a three-year win streak against their Ancient Eight rivals.

    Though Dartmouth (3–7, 1–1) opened Ivy League play with a 1–0 overtime loss to Brown, the Big Green evened its conference record by defeating Princeton last week, 1–0. Forward Aly O’Dea scored the lone goal in the contest to lift Dartmouth past the Tigers.

    The Big Green has struggled to find the back of the net this season and has scored just five goals through 10 games. Freshman forward Tasha Wilkins leads Dartmouth with two goals and four points. Though Dartmouth ranks last in the Ivy League in offensive production, the Big Green has tallied nine yellow cards this season — the most in the conference.

    “They’re bigger than we are [and] a little stronger than we are, so we have to play better soccer than them,” Meredith said. “They’re a very physical and athletic team.”

    Goalkeepers Tatiana Saunders and Colleen Hogen have both seen time in net for the Big Green this season and have compiled 1.59 and 0.59 goals against average, respectively.

    Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Reese Stadium.