Brown at Yale
Sat., Nov. 6
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NEW HAVEN, Conn. -The final home game of 2021 has Ivy League title implications for the Yale men's soccer team. The Bulldogs, who host Brown on Saturday, are still alive in their quest to defend their Ivy crown. Kickoff against the Bears at Reese Stadium is set for 4 p.m.
 
Yale (6-4-4, 3-0-2 Ivy) currently sits in second place, four points behind Princeton. The Tigers can clinch the title with a win at Penn on Saturday. A Princeton tie or loss coupled with a Yale victory keeps the Bulldogs alive. Yale closes out the regular season at Princeton next Saturday (Nov. 13).
 
Prior to Saturday's game vs. Brown, a Bulldog who has played a vital role in the recent success will be honored. Enzo Okpoye, the only senior on the roster, will be playing his final regular season game at Reese Stadium. Okpoye has been an inspiration to his teammates and coaches since the day he arrived on campus. As a first year in 2018, he started nine games, the most of any newcomer. In his sophomore season, he established himself as one of the top players in the Ivy League, earning first team all-league and second team All-Northeast Region recognition. He was the anchor of a Yale defense that yielded only 14 goals in 18 games, and all three of his goals scored in Ivy play were game winners. He finished the year with five goals as a center defender. That season, he also helped lead the Bulldogs to their first outright Ivy League championship in nearly 30 years. At the end of the academic year, Okpoye was presented with Yale's prestigious Amanda Walton Award, given at the discretion of the Department of Athletics to an outstanding student-athlete who has excelled on the field of play and who has shown spirit and courage in transcending unforeseen challenges.
 
"It is hard to find the right words to summarize the enormous impact Enzo has had on the Yale men's soccer program," said Kylie Stannard, the 5K Corral Head Coach of the Bulldogs. "It goes so much further than what he gave on the field, but more from his hard work and sacrifices off the field.  His path to Yale is remarkable and also inspirational to so many others that can relate to the challenges he has faced.  I am personally grateful to have been part of his journey the past five years and I look forward to watching him continue to positively impact any endeavor he pursues after Yale."
 
Here are other notes on the home finale:
 
* The Bulldogs are unbeaten in their last seven games.
 
* Yale has yielded only one goal in its first five Ivy League games. It came last Saturday in a 3-1 victory at Columbia.
 
* The Bulldogs are unbeaten in their last eight Ivy League games at Reese Stadium, dating back to the 2018 season. Yale has outscored its Ivy opponents 13-3 during the stretch.
 
* Paolo Carroll remains third in the Ivy League with seven goals. His 18 points are the fifth most.
 
* Goalkeeper Elian Haddock leads the league with five shutouts. 
 
* The last time Brown visited Reese Stadium it turned into a memorable night. In 2019, the Bulldogs blanked the Bears 2-0 to clinch their sixth Ivy League title, first since 2005 and first out-right crown since 1991. 
 
SCOUTING BROWN
 
The Bears (6-8-1, 2-2-1 Ivy) have won three straight games, including a 2-0 victory over Central Connecticut on Wednesday. Derek Waleffe leads the team with eight goals, which is second in the league. Brown has allowed 31 goals on the season, the most in the league.