Box Score BULLDOGS ARE THE LAST UNDEFEATED TEAM IN THE NATION
NEW HAVEN, CONN. – After an OT thriller against Penn last Saturday, the Yale men's lacrosse team ensured that Tuesday's matchup against Sacred Heart was no contest. The Elis took the lead in the game's first possession, and at one point scored 14 unanswered goals in an offensive tear. The Bulldogs dominated on both sides of the field, blowing out the Pioneers 19-3 on a cold Tuesday night at Reese Stadium.
The offense dominated throughout the game, scoring 19 goals on 51 shots. This is the highest point total for the Bulldogs in any game this season, and tied for the highest single-game total since 2011. Fourteen different Elis found the net, the most ever in recent memory. Meanwhile, freshman Hoyt Crance got his first ever collegiate start in the crease for the Bulldogs. The freshman from Newport Beach, California replaced Phil Huffard, as a leg injury kept the sophomore on the sideline Tuesday. Crance was absolutely dominant in goal before being taken out in the second half, making nine saves while only allowing two goals in 50 minutes of play. The defense caused 13 turnovers while only allowing three goals, the fewest of any game this season.
The scoring began after gaining possession on the opening face-off, as the Bulldogs were quick to begin their attack. Eric Scott ran down along the goal-line extended towards net, and after drawing a defender, he passed to an open Ben Reeves. The sophomore attackman was left alone in front of the net, and deflected the pass into the net to secure the first goal of the game and his 22nd of the year. After winning the ensuing face-off, Jason Alessi passed to a streaking JW McGovern. The senior midfielder, with a lane in front of him, fired a shot from 10 yards out that beat Sacred Heart goalie Greg Price. After two possessions in two minutes, the lead was 2-0 for the Elis.
After Sacred Heart scored on their first full possession, the Elis returned to dominating possession in their offensive zone. Freshman Jack Tigh was blindsided in the offensive zone, drawing the flag and giving the Bulldogs a one-minute extra-man advantage. After passing around the perimeter, Reeves found Scott with space on the left side of the net. The junior midfielder fired a rocket over the stick of Price, and the Elis' lead was doubled.
The Pioneers cut the lead down to one once again, but two late Yale goals within the span of a minute gave the Elis a comfortable lead at the end of the first quarter. Senior Michael Keasey, fresh off a four-goal performance against Penn, scored from distance after the Pioneers left him with too much space in front of net. On the next possession, Reeves, with a long-pole in his face, fired low to score his second of the game and give Yale a 5-2 lead at the end of one frame.
The offensive intensity carried over into the second quarter, as the Bulldogs notched three quick goals within five minutes. Keasey scored from his favorite spot on the field, as a missile from distance was too quick for Price to get to. On the next possession, sophomore Jason Alessi scored his fourth goal in four games when he too decided to shoot from 15 yards out, and the ball dribbled into the net to give Yale a 7-2 lead. Sophomore Conor Mackie, who has been splitting face-offs with Jonathan Reese, picked up the groundball on the next face-off, and took it down the field himself. Uncovered, his scored his first goal of the season to make it six unanswered for the Bulldogs.
After a temporary break in the offensive showcase, the Elis regained possession after the defense forced another turnover. After the first shot went wide, Reeves took the ball back into to the center of Sacred Heart's zone defense, and used all the space he was given, notching his third of the day. After winning the face-off for yet another offensive possession, Eric Scott faked a shot from the perimeter to lose the defender, then stepped to the side and released a shot from a low angle that sailed into the top corner, his second of the game.
Junior Henry Guild got in on the offensive action shortly after Scott's goal. The midfielder scored his first goal of the season after having only played in one game before Tuesday's contest. With the defender pressuring him from behind, Guild turned and quickly fired to give the Bulldogs their 11th goal of the half. After the Pioneers turned the ball over on offense, a quick clearing attempted resulted in the Elis capitalizing on the poor coverage. Junior midfielder John Lazarsfeld fired a pass from the edge of the offensive zone to an open Reeves, who was left alone in front of the net. Reeves finished with ease, and going into the half Yale had their largest lead of the season after two quarters, up 12-2.
The statistics at the half confirmed that the Bulldogs were dominating on all fronts. The Elis were outshooting the Pioneers 30-11, while collecting more groundballs and being more effective on clearing attempts. The most notable statistics came in areas where the Bulldogs have struggled recently. After converting on the EMO late in the fourth quarter against Penn, the Yale offense continued their success by going 3-3 on their first three extra-man opportunities. Reese and Mackie were also dominant from the face-off position, winning 11 of 16 through the first two quarters.
With a comfortable 10-goal lead at the half, the Elis refused to take their foot off the pedal on offense. Their first possession seemed to have resulted in a change in possession, but pressure applied to the Pioneers' goalie turned the ball over behind the net. Tigh waited for midfielder Mark Glicini to run in towards net before passing, and the senior then finished into the open net.
After Sacred Heart earned an extra-man opportunity, the Bulldogs stuffed the ensuing offensive chance and began the counter-attack. The ball found its way to a streaking Tyler Warner, and the sophomore midfielder scored his second goal in two games to notch the 14th goal of the game for the Elis. Freshman Brendan Mackie then scored in tight coverage minutes later to notch his fifth goal of the season. Three minutes later, Michael Bonacci continued the scoring spree by finessing a shot to the far side of the net, becoming the 11th Bulldog to find the net in the first three quarters of play. Meanwhile, the defense shut-out the Pioneers for the second straight quarter to maintain a 16-2 lead after three.
The unanswered goal streak continued into the fourth quarter, as Will Robinson scored his first of the game, and second of the season, as he bounced a shot that ended up over the shoulder of the Pioneers' goalie. Sacred Heart then scored their first goal in 40 minutes of play to end the Bulldogs' goal streak at 14, their largest of the season. Freshman Ted Forst scored his first collegiate goal midway through the fourth quarter, earning an ovation from the loyal Yale supporters recognizing his achievement.
Shane Carr then notched his first goal of the game late in the fourth, becoming the 14th and final player to score for the Bulldogs. The senior midfielder fired a shot on frame that landed in the goalie's net, but the deflection fell over the goal-line to give Yale their 19th goal. The two teams exchanged possession in the final minutes, and the final horn sounded with the Bulldogs earning their largest victory of the season.
After Brown was upset by Bryant on Tuesday, the Bulldogs are the only undefeated team left in Division I in the country. The midweek victory proved that after two close wins in recent weeks, the Elis are holding strong midway through the season. The team will return to Ivy League play Saturday when they travel to Hanover to play Dartmouth. The game is set to begin at 1 p.m. and will be aired live on the Ivy League Digital Network.
filed by Andrew Del Vecchio '19 (andrew.delvecchio@yale.edu), Yale Sports Publicity
