NEW HAVEN, Conn. – An inspired effort by the Yale field hockey team came up just short on Saturday afternoon as No. 16 Harvard used two penalty corner goals to edge the Bulldogs 2-1.
Saturday's showdown on a sunny, warm day at Johnson Field marked the third time in the last four games that Yale has faced a ranked opponent. In each of those games the Bulldogs were tied or within a goal of their opponent in the second half, but they could not finish off the upset.
Still, Saturday's game marked more signs of progress for Yale. The only other teams to hold the Crimson to two or fewer goals this season have been nationally ranked. The Bulldogs limited Harvard to 14 shots, tied for the second-lowest total in the Crimson's last 10 games (dating back to last season).
"We played as a team, stuck to our game plan and made it tough for Harvard," said
Pam Stuper, Yale's Caroline Ruth Thompson '02 Head Coach of Field Hockey. "The game plan was effective and our kids stayed with it."
The Bulldogs and Crimson spent most of the game tied. After Harvard (4-2 1-0 Ivy League) took an early 1-0 lead on the game's first penalty corner, Yale (2-4, 0-1 Ivy League) answered with a penalty corner goal of its own. Junior forward/midfielder
Olivia Levieux put in her own rebound at 13:48.
"We've worked hard on goal scoring, both on corners and from the field, being ready for rebounds," said Stuper. "It's all about being in the right position and getting a shot off quickly. That goal was a product of that work."
The game stayed tied for nearly 28 minutes, but ultimately a stretch of three penalty corners in the third quarter enabled Harvard to re-take the lead on a tally by midfielder Bente van Vlijmen.
"We spent a lot of time preparing our corner unit, and they played very well," said Stuper. "But three corners in a row put the odds in Harvard's favor. Both of their penalty corner goals were nice shots."
Harvard limited Yale to two shots in the fourth quarter, thwarting any hopes of a comeback.
The Bulldogs nonetheless left Saturday's game with much to build on -- on and off the field. Among the alums who came back for the game was
Amanda Walton '02. Walton, a field hockey and lacrosse player, was involved in an automobile accident after her sophomore year. She overcame a coma and numerous injuries through hard work and determination, eventually returning to the sideline as an assistant coach. In 2003 she received the NCAA Inspiration Award.
The field hockey team has an annual award named after Walton, given by the Yale players and coaching staff to that team member who demonstrates the ability to confront challenges, displaying the courage to overcome them, while inspiring teammates with her work ethic and unselfish attitude. The two most recent recipients of that award were at Saturday's game. Junior goalkeeper
Sydney Terroso, who earned the award in 2017, made six saves.
Chaney Kalinich '19, who earned the award last season, is with Yale as a team manager this season.
Saturday marked the first time Walton returned to Johnson Field since 2007, when she was here for the program's 35th anniversary celebration.
"Amanda being here was impactful in many ways," said Stuper. "She has meant so much to this program, and with the award that we have named after her we are doing our best to keep her legacy alive. For our current players, to have her here and be able to put a face to the name was awesome."
Yale returns to action Sunday, visiting Hofstra at 2:00 p.m.
