NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- The Yale field hockey team faces a pair of ranked foes this weekend, including some of the best defenses in the country. The weekend starts with a visit from No. 13 Harvard Saturday (1:00 p.m., ESPN+). The Crimson features goalkeeper Ellie Shahbo, who leads the nation in save percentage (.889) and goals-against average (0.36). On Sunday Yale travels to No. 20 UMass (3:00 p.m., ESPN+). The Bulldogs' last visit to Gladchuk Field Hockey Complex resulted in a 1-0 upset win over the Minutewomen in 2017.
 
LAST WEEKEND
Yale (4-5, 1-1 Ivy League) battled back from deficits multiple times but ultimately suffered a pair of close losses last weekend. On Friday at then-No. 17 Princeton the Bulldogs fell behind 1-0 early then tied the score on a goal by junior midfielder Théodora Dillman (Lancaster, Pa.) on a penalty corner early in the second quarter. Princeton went back ahead right before halftime and tacked on a goal in the fourth quarter for the 3-1 win. On Sunday at Quinnipiac Yale fell behind twice but rallied to tie the score each time, including a dramatic last-second penalty corner goal from sophomore forward Maddy Wong (West Vancouver, B.C.) to send the game to overtime. That was Wong's first career goal. The Bobcats scored at the 65:33 mark for the 3-2 win. 
 

????YALE GOAL! We tie it 2-2 in the final seconds of regulation at Quinnipiac! #ThisIsYale pic.twitter.com/1srKWC7NY6

— Yale Field Hockey (@YaleFieldHockey) October 3, 2021

CORNER UNIT CLICKING
Yale's last five goals have come on penalty corners. The Bulldogs' last goal from the field came in the 4-3 win vs. Drexel Sept. 26.
 
BULLDOGS AMONG IVY GOALS AND SAVES LEADERS
The Yale offense features two of the top seven goal scorers in the Ivy League: sophomore forward Lena Ansari (Glenview, Ill.) and junior midfielder Théodora Dillman (Lancaster, Pa.). With five goals each, they are tied with Cornell's Isabelle Paldi for fifth in the league. Sophomore goalkeeper Luanna Summer (St. Louis, Mo.) leads the Ivy League in saves with 54 and is third in save percentage (.761).
 
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Yale is in the middle of a stretch in which it plays three ranked opponents in four games. The Bulldogs fell to then-No. 17 Princeton Oct. 1. They host No. 13 Harvard Saturday and visit No. 20 UMass Sunday. That trio is 16-2 against unranked opponents this year. All three teams are also in the top 30 in the NCAA RPI rankings, with Harvard 14th, UMass 22nd and Princeton 29th.
 
HOME COOKING
Since Nov. 4, 2017 -- a 4-0 win vs. Brown -- Yale has gone 16-9 (.640) at Johnson Field. 
 
SCOUTING HARVARD
Harvard (9-1, 2-0 Ivy League) has won four in a row since suffering its lone defeat of the season, a 1-0 loss at then-No. 16 UConn Sept. 19 on penalty strokes. The Crimson has allowed just four goals in 10 games, the lowest total in the nation. Back Hannah Pearce is fourth in the Ivy League in goals with seven. Harvard's last Ivy League loss was Oct. 26, 2019; since the Crimson is 30-2 in its last 32 Ancient Eight games.
 
SCOUTING UMASS
UMass (7-4, 1-1 Atlantic 10), which visits Saint Louis Friday, is 4-1 at 8-2 at Gladchuk Field Hockey Complex this calendar year -- the Minutewomen went 4-1 at home in the spring season and are 4-1 there this fall as well. Goalkeeper Marlise von Tonder is ninth in the NCAA in save percentage (.803).