NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Bulldogs got their first win of the season just in time for the start of Ivy League Play.
 
The Yale Women's Soccer Team, which begins conference play next weekend, gained some momentum for Ivy play after getting goals from Mia Grillo and Chloe Laureano and a shutout from Annie Welch in a 2-0 win over St. John's at Reese Stadium.
 
Sarah Martinez, who notched her first victory as Yale's Loring Family Head Coach, saw her young and banged up squad dominate a Red Storm team that has been scoring a lot of goals while posting a 4-1-1 mark heading into today.
 
The field was tilted for the home team all game, but Grillo's second career goal confirmed the momentum the Bulldogs built in the first half.
 
Emily Yin got the scoring sequence started by taking the ball up the middle of the field in the St. John's end before feeding the wing on her right side. Alanna Butcher received the pass, made a move to avoid a defender and sent a crossing ball toward Grillo, who had sprinted inside the 18-yard box. The ball came in at the perfect height for the senior forward to one-time it top shelf from 10 yards out with under a minute to play in the first half.
 
Yale, 1-7 on the season, made it 2-0 on Laureano's off-angle direct kick that bent inside the opposite upper corner early in the second half. It was her first tally of the year and third of her career for the Bulldogs.
 
Up next for the Elis is a Saturday night game at Princeton on ESPN+.