Katerina Toffoloni Scores First Career Goal

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – After falling behind 1-0 early, the Yale field hockey team battled back to tie Columbia 1-1 on freshman forward/midfielder Katerina Toffoloni's first career goal late in the first half on Saturday afternoon at the Lions' Field Hockey Venue. The score stayed that way for nearly 15 minutes in the second half -- but then a stretch of just over four minutes proved to be the turning point in the Lions' favor. Columbia scored a pair of goals in that span, then held on for a 3-1 win.

Columbia (9-6, 3-3 Ivy League) had a golden chance to take the lead 12 and a half minutes into the game on a penalty stroke, but Yale junior goalie Emilie Katz dove to her right and got her blocker on it to keep the game scoreless. Two minutes later, however, the Lions took advantage of a penalty corner as a shot by back Maeve Doherty deflected in off a Yale player for a 1-0 lead at 13:48.

A Lions shot hit the post five minutes later, and the Bulldogs soon capitalized on a chance to tie. Toffoloni drove in from the left side and sent the ball towards the net, where it eluded Columbia keeper Kimberly Pianucci at 25:36.

Saturday also marked Toffoloni's first career start, making her the second freshman this year (along with forward Brooke Reese) to score in her first career start.

"Katerina has improved throughout the season, and earned a start today," said Pam Stuper, Yale's Caroline Ruth Thompson '02 Head Coach of Field Hockey. "Like Brooke, she made the most of her opportunity and scored a goal."

The game remained tied and turned into even more of a defense battle early in the second, with neither team generating any quality scoring chances for nearly 15 minutes. But when Columbia got another corner, the Lions took advantage again -- this time with a great diving deflection goal from midfielder Whitney Hartstone that put Columbia up 2-1 at 49:07.

"After watching film, Columbia's penalty corners were definitely a concern," said Stuper. "On both of their first two goals, there was nothing our goalie could do."

Midfielder Christina Freibott's goal at 52:29 then gave the Lions a 3-1 edge, and the Bulldogs could not respond. Two Columbia defenders raced back to break up a potential scoring play for sophomore midfielder/forward Katie Smith off a long pass with 10 minutes to play, and a penalty corner shot by sophomore forward /midfielder Carol Middough with 4:30 left went wide. Lions backup goalie Kendall Kuntz stopped a shot by sophomore midfielder/forward Lily Smith in the final minute to seal the 3-1 win.

Freibott's three-point day helped her become Columbia's all-time leader in points with 99. Katz finished with nine saves for Yale, and the Bulldogs also got a defensive save from senior back Noelle Villa. Pianucci made one save and Kuntz made two for the Lions.

Yale (2-13, 0-6 Ivy League) plays at Lafayette Sunday.

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