NEW HAVEN, Conn. – In the season opener Saturday at Reese Stadium the No. 8 Yale women's lacrosse team raced out to a 5-1 lead in the first quarter against No. 4 Michigan, then withstood a Wolverine comeback attempt and pulled away late for a 12-6 win.
Yale (1-0, 0-0 Ivy League) never trailed, though after the Bulldogs established that 5-1 lead Michigan (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) got within one goal twice in the third quarter. Senior goalkeeper
Cami Donadio made two of her biggest saves after that, both against preseason All-America attacker Jill Smith with the game hanging in the balance – one on a point-blank shot with 30 seconds left in the third and another on a free position shot with 12:05 left in the game.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
TURNING POINT
- After Michigan cut the lead to 6-5 with 13:17 left in the third, the Yale defense forced a shot clock violation on the next Michigan possession and a turnover (caused by Clare) on the possession after that to keep the Wolverines from tying the game. Yale scored two of the next three goals in the quarter to begin pulling away.
KEY STAT
- Yale allowed Michigan only three shots in the fourth quarter.
NOTES
- Vaughn scored her 100th career goal. It came at 8:15 of the third quarter.
- Lane had her 100th career point, assisting on senior attacker Taylor Everson's scoop-shot goal to beat the shot clock buzzer with 3:04 left in the third.
- Collignon now has a streak of eight straight games with at least three goals.
- This was the first meeting between these two teams.
WHAT'S NEXT
- Yale plays at Quinnipiac Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.
