NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A goal by Lafayette forward Rosie Shanks at 39:38 of the second half proved to be the difference maker Sunday afternoon at Rappolt Field, as the Yale field hockey team fell to the Leopards 1-0 in the Bulldogs' final road game of the year.

Lafayette (9-9, 3-3 Patriot League) was coming off a 1-0 shutout of Colgate Saturday that clinched a spot in the Patriot League playoffs. The Leopards, celebrating Senior Day Sunday, kept that momentum going by limiting Yale to just three shots in the first half. Still, the game was scoreless at the break as each goalie -- Yale junior Emilie Katz and Lafayette's Katelyn Arnold -- made one save for the half. Each team also had a shot hit the post.

The game winner for Lafayette came off a rebound, as Katz made the initial save on midfielder/forward Ellen Colbourne's shot but Shanks knocked the loose ball out of the air and in for her fourth goal of the season.

The Bulldogs wound up outshooting the Leopards 8-7 in the second half, but Arnold turned aside the only two shots on goal for the half -- both from sophomore forward/midfielder Carol Middough, who also had Yale's only shot on goal in the first half. Middough had seven of Yale's 11 shots overall.

This marks the fourth time this season Katz has taken a loss despite allowing just one goal. Her five saves on Sunday give her 170 for the season, 77 more than any other goalkeeper in the Ivy League. She also has a league-best .785 save percentage, 72 percentage points better than the second-place goalie.

Yale (2-14, 0-6 Ivy League) concludes its season next Saturday, hosting Brown at Johnson Field. The Bulldogs will honor their two seniors, back Noelle Villa and midfielder Nicole Wells.

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