Feb. 28, 2007

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NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Yale had seen a 7-2 halftime lead shrink to 8-6 with 16 minutes to play when UConn's Kristin Link headed to the net looking for her fourth goal of the game. Yale junior goaltender Ellen Cameron was ready, denying Link's shot from point-blank range -- and the subsequent free-position shot Link was awarded for being fouled on the play. The Bulldogs then settled down and finished off an 11-7 win over the Huskies to improve to 2-0 on the year.

"We needed something big to happen," said Amanda O'Leary, Yale's Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of Women's Lacrosse, in commenting on Cameron's play. "They were on a 4-1 run. We were either looking for something big offensively, or for someone to come up big defensively. Ellen came up big defensively."

Adding to the importance of Cameron's play was the fact that junior midfielder Lauren Taylor, the Bulldogs' leading scorer, was issued a yellow card on Link's initial shot attempt and thus sent to the sideline. After Cameron's second save the Bulldogs were able to maintain possession, so they spent most of their three minutes without Taylor possessing the ball deep in UConn territory. That further killed off any momentum the Huskies could have grabbed.

When Taylor returned, she quickly drew a foul on her way to the net and converted the free-position attempt for her fourth goal of the game with 10 minutes to play. With control of the game re-established, Yale withstood one more goal from Link and finished off with goals from junior midfielder Kat Peetz and sophomore midfielder Sara Greenberg to make the final 11-7.

Yale built up its first-half lead on two goals each from Taylor and sophomore defenseman Jenn Warden along with solo tallies by senior midfielder Lara Melniker, senior attacker Marya Myers and freshman attacker Jessica Sturgill.

A year ago, Yale let a 5-1 halftime lead slip away against the Huskies before pulling out a 6-5 win in overtime. Thanks in part to Cameron and Taylor's plays when UConn (1-1) got close, this one wound up being resolved in regulation.

"We didn't panic," O'Leary said. "We stuck with the game plan of maintaining possession of the ball. We had a number of good, quality shots. I give their goalie [Jenna Moulton, who finished with nine saves] a lot of credit. She came up with some big saves."

One indication of the job Yale did offensively: the Bulldogs held a 30-19 shot advantage, including 17-8 in the first half.

"Lara Melniker did a nice job controlling the ball," O'Leary said. "She's someone who we count on to maintain possession."

Warden also helped the Bulldogs maintain control of the game, picking up a team-high three ground balls.

"Jenn did a really nice job," O'Leary said. "She was aggressive on ground balls and went hard defensively. I was really proud of her today."

Yale did its job defensively as well, particularly on UConn's Shannon Burke. Burke, the Huskies' leading scorer and a first team All-BIG EAST and All-Northeast selection a year ago, was limited to only one goal Wednesday. O'Leary credited that to junior defenseman Jess Champion.

"We definitely manned [Burke] with Jess, and Jess did a super job on her," O'Leary said. "Jess may find herself in many situations like that this year -- guarding the opposing team's best player."

The game was originally scheduled to be played at UConn but was shifted to Yale's Johnson Field due to unplayable field conditions after the snow storm in Storrs. It still counts as a home game for the Huskies, and Yale sported its road blue uniforms.

The Bulldogs travel to James Madison Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. game.

report by Sam Rubin '95 (sam.rubin@yale.edu), Yale Sports Publicity