Feb. 29, 2004

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New Haven, CT - No. 18 Yale dropped its season opener to No. 8 James Madison 9-7 at Johnson Field Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs trailed 4-1 at one point, then rallied for a 6-4 lead before JMU scored five of the game's last six goals.

The Dukes came out strong, taking a 3-0 lead at the 12:35 mark and prompting a timeout by Yale. The Bulldogs responded just 15 seconds later on a goal by Sarah Driscoll that went in off JMU goaltender Amy Altig's stick. JMU's Meghan Hannum scored 1:18 before halftime to give the Dukes a 4-1 lead.

The Bulldogs' comeback began at 24:40 of the second half, when Miles Whitman caused a turnover and turned it into her first goal of the season. Sophie Melniker tallied just 32 seconds later to pull Yale within one, then tied the game at 17:51. Whitman gave Yale its first lead 24 seconds later, then assisted on a Melniker goal at 15:51 to give Yale a 6-4 lead and three goals in a two-minute span.

The game started turning when Driscoll went out with an injury at the 14:44 mark.

"Sarah's that spark," head coach Amanda O'Leary noted. "Her going down definitely had an impact on the game."

James Madison's Carrie Martell scored off of a turnover at 12:09 to pull the Dukes within one, and Gail Decker scored on a free position shot to tie the game at 10:24. JMU re-took the lead on a Jessica Brownridge goal at 9:57. The Bulldogs responded with another Melniker goal (assisted by Caroline Edsall) at 7:07, and Driscoll made her return.

Decker broke the tie just 44 seconds later, and Altig came up with a big save on a Lindsay Levin shot at 3:57 to negate what turned out to be Yale's final threat. Brownridge put the game out of reach by scoring her third goal of the game with 54 seconds remaining.

Altig finished with 11 saves, while Yale's Lonnie Sarnell made eight in her first collegiate start.

"Lonnie played a great second half, and came up with some big saves," O'Leary noted. "It was a good first game for us -- we started some new faces, and the newcomers did well. Lindsay Levin did a great job in the defensive midfield."

Yale hosts New Hampshire at Johnson Field at 4:00 on Wednesday, followed by a game against UConn on Sunday March 7 at 1:00.

report by Sam Rubin '95, Yale Sports Publicity Department