NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Senior Diego Zaffanella scored on a penalty kick in the 80th minute to give the Yale men's soccer team a 1-0 win over Brown to conclude the 2025 season.
With the victory, Yale ended its season with a 3-9-3 record. The Bulldogs finished tied for fifth in the Ivy League standings with Brown. The Bears finished with a 6-7-2 overall record.
"What a game! It doesn't get much better to end the season with a win at home for our seniors and for our captain, Diego, to score his only career goal, as well as our senior goalkeeper, Conrad, to earn a much-deserved shutout," said Kylie Stannard, the 5K Corral Head Coach of the Bulldogs. "It's a great day to be a Bulldog!"
"It was a very strong performance from start to finish and we were very unfortunate not to have been up at half. Our guys stayed focused and kept on believing and we finally had a moment that went our way after a season full of moments that haven't gone our way," Stannard said. "I am really proud of the team for staying locked in this past week and making it a point to finish the season strong for our seniors and to gain momentum into the offseason."
How it Happened
• 20' | The Bulldogs nearly got on the board on a free kick from Aydin Jay. He delivered the ball into the box to the foot of Owen Bull, but Bull's attempt was saved by the Brown keeper.
• 23' | Yale had its second chance a few minutes later when Angelo Zhu sent a left-footed strike over the crossbar, missing a goal by inches.
• 75' | Sven Meacham fired a rocket on goal, but his attempt was knocked over the crossbar by the Brown keeper.
• 80' | YALE GOAL! Zaffanella converted the penalty kick to give Yale the victory. 1-0 YALE
Game Notes
• Yale has beaten Brown in five of the last seven matchups.
• Zaffanella scored his first collegiate goal in his 52nd career game.
• Yale goaltender Conrad Lee wrapped up his career with his second shutout of the season.
• Prior to the game, Yale honored its 10-member senior class: Marco Borrego, Lior Gurion, Alex Umana, Aydin Jay, Luke Renforth, Conrad Lee, Andrew Seidman, Felipe Schwartz, Daniel Mladek, and Diego Zaffanella.
"Thank you to all of our seniors and their families for their commitment and support," Stannard said.
