NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale field hockey team's attack generated a season-high 26 shots and 11 penalty corners Saturday afternoon, but unfortunately for the Bulldogs Dartmouth wound up with the edge in the final score. Buoyed by 11 saves from goalkeeper Paige Duffy, the Big Green jumped out to a lead with a couple goals late in the first half and then hung on for a 3-2 win.

Yale (2-10, 0-4 Ivy League) had just wrapped up stretch in which its last seven opponents had a combined record of 67-17 entering Saturday, so the Bulldogs were looking to put an end to their recent struggles with a solid outing against the Big Green. Saturday's game swung in Dartmouth's favor with a pair of goals (by midfielders Brooke Van Valkenburg and Eliza Becker) in a span of just over two minutes late in the first half.

Yale answered with a penalty corner goal from sophomore forward/midfielder Carol Middough -- assisted by stick stopper freshman back Marissa Medici and inserter senior midfielder Nicole Wells -- to make the score 2-1 heading into halftime. Freshman back Jackie Kisa kept the Big Green within striking distance by coming through with a defensive save right after Middough's goal.

Yale junior goalkeeper Emilie Katz made a spectacular diving save with her blocker on a penalty stroke for Dartmouth (5-7, 1-3 Ivy League) early in the second. But the Big Green eventually extended the lead to 3-1 on a goal by midfielder Rebecca Hu at 44:33.

The Bulldogs crept closer on the first goal of the season for sophomore back Kiwi Comizio, who knocked in a rebound off a penalty corner at 62:27. But that would be as close as Yale would get, as a save by Duffy on a penalty corner with 2:30 to play ended the Bulldogs' last threat. Katz finished with nine saves.

"This was the best game we've played, offensively and defensively, in a while," said Pam Stuper, Yale's Caroline Ruth Thompson '02 Head Coach of Field Hockey. "We generated many more opportunities for ourselves. The defense handled the overall play well, but that stretch of two minutes where we gave up two goals hurt us."

Yale plays at Penn next Saturday.

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