HANOVER, N.H. – The Yale women's lacrosse team made an early statement in Ivy League play Saturday afternoon, knocking off Dartmouth 12-9 at Scully-Fahey Field. The Bulldogs got four points each from senior attacker
Olivia Markert and junior attacker
Olivia Penoyer, and goals from a total of seven different players, to beat the Big Green for the first time since 2015. Dartmouth was co-Ivy League Champions in the most recent Ivy season (2019).
Yale (4-0, 1-0 Ivy League) fell behind 3-0 but responded with a 5-0 run that changed the complexion of the game. While Dartmouth was able to tie the game 5-5 at 5:19 of the second, the Big Green would never take the lead. A pair of goals by first-year midfielder
Fallon Vaughn keyed a 3-0 Yale run that wrapped around from the end of the first half to the start of the second half, when Penoyer gave Yale an 8-5 lead.
The teams traded goals until Dartmouth got within two at 10-8 with 13:42 left in the game. Penoyer and Markert then shifted momentum back in Yale's favor, as from behind the cage Penoyer hit a hard-charging Markert in stride for a goal at 8:56.
First years have played a key role in Yale's excellent start to the season, and Saturday was no exception. First-year attacker
Caroline Burt tacked on a critical goal to extend the lead at 7:56 of the fourth, taking a few steps in on a free-position attempt before firing one past Dartmouth goalie Gisele Todd.
After Dartmouth (1-2, 0-1 Ivy League) got within 12-9, junior goalkeeper
Clare Boone made a pair of saves in the final four minutes to help seal the win.
Markert (3-1-4) and Penoyer (3-1-4) led Yale in points, followed closely by Vaughn (2-1-3). Burt finished with a goal and an assist, while Yale also got goals from a trio of other first years: attacker
Taylor Everson, midfielder
Taylor Lane and midfielder
Molly McGuckin. That was Everson's first career goal.
Lane and first-year midfielder
Sky Carrasquillo tied for the team lead in draw controls with four each, while junior defender
Emily Clorite had a team-best two caused turnovers. Boone finished with nine saves. The Bulldogs were 17-for-18 on clear attempts.
Yale is now 4-0 for the first time since 2018. The Bulldogs play at No. 1 Boston College, the defending national champion, Sunday Mar. 13.
"I am so happy for our women today," said
Erica Bamford, Yale's Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of Women's Lacrosse. "
Olivia Markert and
Olivia Penoyer did a tremendous job leading our young, balanced offense. Our defenders played as a unit in front of goalkeeper
Clare Boone, who came up with some critical saves down the stretch. I am excited to get back to practice in preparation for No. 1 BC next week."
