NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The 2021 Yale Women's Soccer Season kicks off this Friday at 4 p.m. at Reese Stadium when Buffalo comes to town for a game airing live on ESPN+ and Stretch Internet.

There has been a lot of tweaking since the Bulldogs played a game, a 1-1 draw with Brown on Nov. 9, 2019, which completed their most successful season in 14 years.

Now Yale has a new leader in Sarah Martinez, the Loring Family Head Coach of Soccer, and two of the leading scorers from the most recent campaign are playing professionally. This is all good news for a rising program in a highly competitive conference, but there are some obstacles to overcome for sustained progress.

"We were buzzing as we approached our preseason, after not being together as a group since March 2020 and not playing a competitive game since November 2019," said Martinez. "The all-in attitude and work that our program has put in culturally and athletically is something we are excited to showcase this fall."

Yale does have nine returning starters, including senior captain Kristen Enriquez, the anchor of the defense with 28 career games and 20 starts over three seasons. She has three teammates who have started in defensive roles for the Blue, including senior Reina Bonta, who started at back and should be at center midfield this fall.

Overall, players with a combined 18 goals and 60 points are back in the fold from two years ago. Ellery Winkler, a junior forward/midfielder, is the returning goals and points leader with seven and 20. There are other proven point producers in senior forward Lydia Shaw (3-5-11 in 2019) and sophomore midfielder Chloe Laureano (2-4-8), who have each played in every game at Yale.

It's fair to say Yale's goalkeeping is untested. The Elis, who travel to Quinnipiac on Sunday for game two, graduated their starter from 2019, but junior Simone Eligon was a backup and first-year transfer Maya Bellomo played in two games for the 2019 Baylor team. They also have newcomer Annie Welch, a former Glenbrook North (Ill.) High School star.

"With over half of our team new to college-level competition, our veteran leadership is going to play a big role in the success we will find this fall. This group is empowered, inspired and ready to officially get started," said Martinez, who has six seniors on the roster this fall.

The Bulls, who opened the 2021 campaign with a 4-0 loss at West Virginia, are coming off a 6-2 win over Niagara last weekend.

Buffalo at Yale
Friday, Aug. 27 – 4 p.m.
Reese Stadium
Live Stats | ESPN+ Video

Note: All home games can be viewed outside the U.S. on Stretch Internet/
 
Yale at Quinnipiac
Sunday, Aug. 29 – Noon
Quinnipiac Soccer-Lacrosse Stadium
Live Stats | ESPN+ Video