NEW HAVEN, Conn. – For the No. 5 Yale women's lacrosse team, the road to Foxborough goes through Newton. The Bulldogs are headed to Massachusetts to face the defending national champions, No. 2 Boston College, in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday (5:00 p.m.,
ESPNU,
ESPN+,
Live Stats,
Tickets) at BC's Newton Campus Lacrosse & Soccer Field. The winner advances to the semifinals, which take place Friday, May 23 at Gillette Stadium.
Yale is the No. 7 seed in the tournament, while BC is the No. 2 seed. The Bulldogs won the Ivy League Tournament Championship earlier this month, earning the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Last Game
Yale (16-3, 5-2 Ivy League)
beat Syracuse 9-8 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday at Reese Stadium. Senior attacker
Jenna Collignon (Hinsdale, Ill.) scored all three of her goals in the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs rallied for the win. She finished the game with 211 career goals, establishing a new Yale record. The previous mark of 209 had been set by
Tracy Ball '81.
Yale's NCAA Tournament History
This is the first time in school history Yale has made the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons. Overall the Bulldogs are 5-4 in tournament games, with four of those wins coming in the last two seasons. Yale is 0-2 in quarterfinal games.
| Year |
Result |
Opponent |
Yale Score |
Opp. Score |
OT |
Site |
Round |
| May 9, 1984 |
Loss |
UMass |
5 |
6 |
OT |
New Haven, Conn. |
1st Round |
| May 8, 2003 |
Win |
Syracuse |
12 |
7 |
|
New Haven, Conn. |
1st Round |
| May 11, 2003 |
Loss |
Loyola (Md.) |
7 |
13 |
|
Baltimore, Md. |
Quarterfinal |
| May 19, 2007 |
Loss |
Maryland |
7 |
13 |
|
College Park, Md. |
1st Round |
| May 10, 2024 |
Win |
Binghamton |
17 |
4 |
|
New Haven, Conn. |
1st Round |
| May 12, 2024 |
Win |
Johns Hopkins |
9 |
7 |
|
New Haven, Conn. |
2nd Round |
| May 16, 2024 |
Loss |
Syracuse |
9 |
19 |
|
Syracuse, N.Y. |
Quarterfinal |
| May 9, 2025 |
Win |
UAlbany |
12 |
9 |
|
New Haven, Conn. |
1st Round |
| May 11, 2025 |
Win |
Syracuse |
9 |
8 |
|
New Haven, Conn. |
2nd Round |
Scouting BC
Boston College (18-2, 8-1 ACC) has not lost to a team other than No. 1 North Carolina all season – and those losses were by a combined total of three goals. BC is the defending national champion, having won its second title last year. This is the Eagles' 13th NCAA Tournament appearance. They have advanced to the national championship game in each of the last seven seasons.
Yale-BC Common Opponents
Yale and BC had five common opponents – including Stanford, whom BC played twice, and Syracuse, whom Yale played twice. The Bulldogs were 4-2 against those opponents, while the Eagles were 6-0. Here are the goals for and goals against in each of those games:
| Opponent |
Yale GF |
Yale GA |
BC GF |
BC GA |
| Brown |
11 |
14 |
18 |
7 |
| Dartmouth |
12 |
6 |
16 |
3 |
| Stanford (1) |
10 |
11 |
17 |
9 |
| Stanford (2) |
n/a |
n/a |
16 |
9 |
| Syracuse (1) |
13 |
10 |
17 |
2 |
| Syracuse (2) |
9 |
8 |
n/a |
n/a |
| UAlbany |
12 |
9 |
20 |
4 |
| TOTAL GOALS |
67 |
58 |
104 |
34 |
Yale-BC History
Yale holds a 17-10 advantage in the all-time series, though BC has won the last eight. The Eagles won the most recent meeting, 16-8 on Apr. 3, 2024. Yale's last win in the series was Mar. 8, 2008 (11-8 in Westwood, Mass.).
Comeback Queens
This past Sunday marked the fifth time this season the Bulldogs have trailed in the fourth quarter and come back to win. All of those games have come since Apr. 12. Here they are:
| Game |
Largest 4Q Deficit |
Time |
Final |
| 4/12/25 at Penn |
8-6 |
15:00 left |
Won 10-9 (2OT) |
| 4/26/25 Cornell |
14-10 |
14:24 left |
Won 16-15 (OT) |
| 5/2/25 Penn |
9-7 |
10:09 left |
Won 11-10 |
| 5/9/25 UAlbany |
8-6 |
14:09 left |
Won 12-9 |
| 5/11/25 Syracuse |
8-7 |
10:38 left |
Won 9-8 |
Massachusetts Natives
Yale has four Massachusetts natives on its roster:
Five Bulldogs Earn USA Lacrosse All-America Honors
Yale had five individuals honored by USA Lacrosse last week as the organization announced its All-America selections.
Two Bulldogs earned second team All-America honors:
Three Bulldogs were named honorable mention All-America:
Six Bulldogs Honored by Ivy League
Yale had six individuals honored by the Ivy League last month as the league announced its annual awards.
Three Bulldogs earned first team All-Ivy League recognition:
Two Bulldogs earned second team All-Ivy recognition:
Senior midfielder
Sophie Straka (Chatham, N.J.) was named Academic All-Ivy League.
Road Warriors
Yale is 6-2 in road games this season, and 11-4 in road games since the start of the 2024 season.
Among Yale's Best
Yale's 16 wins this season are second-most in school history. The school record for wins in a season is 17, set last year.
Nine Lives
Yale's current winning streak, nine games, is tied for the fourth-longest in school history. The Bulldogs had a streak of 13 straight wins that started in the 1994 season and ended in the 1995 season. They also had two 12 game winning streaks (one that started in the 1977 season and ended in the 1978 season, and one that started in the 1995 season and ended in the 1996 season).
That Was Close
Yale is 4-1 in games decided by one goal this season, with wins in each of the last four. In games decided by three goals or fewer, the Bulldogs are 6-3 – with wins in each of the last six.
Defense Among Best in the Nation
Through May 9 Yale ranks No. 4 nationally in scoring defense (8.33 goals allowed per game). No. 1 North Carolina (6.67 goals allowed per game) leads the nation.
A Decisive Shot Advantage
Yale has outshot its opponents 640-387 this season, an average margin of +13.3 shots per game.
Clearly Better
Yale is 313 for 333 (.940) on clears and has limited its opponents to a 298 for 356 (.837) performance on clears.
#OneIvy
With No. 14 Penn, No. 7 Princeton and No. 5 Yale all advancing, the Ivy League is one of two conferences with three teams in the NCAA Quarterfinals. Here is the breakdown:
- 3 ACC (Boston College, Duke, North Carolina)
- 3 Ivy League (Penn, Princeton, Yale)
- 1 Big 12 (Florida)
- 1 Big Ten (Northwestern)
Grounded
Yale has won the ground ball battle in 17 of 19 games. For the season, Yale is +95 in ground balls (327 to 232).
Drawing it Up
Yale has won the draw control battle in 13 games this season. The Bulldogs are 12-1 when they win the draw control battle and 4-2 when they do not. For the season, Yale is +82 in draw controls (280 to 198). They are one DC away from the school record of 281, set last year.
Captain Straka
Senior defender
Sophie Straka (Chatham, N.J.) was elected captain for this season by her teammates. Straka missed all of last season with an injury but has returned to start every game this year. She was named Academic All-Ivy League last month.
Seniors Honored
Yale honored its senior class (16 people) after the Cornell game. The members of the senior class have been a part of four memorable seasons, and have led the program to several notable accomplishments including the most wins in a four-year span in school history (55). That includes a pair of wins in the NCAA Tournament in 2024, helping the Bulldogs advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the first time since 2003. The Bulldogs have advanced to the quarterfinals again this season.
In 2024 this group also led Yale to an Ivy League Championship, the program's first since 2003, and the school's first-ever Ivy League Tournament championship. The team has been ranked as high as number one in the RPI and number four in the national polls during their careers. The Bulldogs had a nine-game winning streak in 2024 – tied for the fourth-longest winning streak in school history – and they had a seven-game winning streak in 2025. In each of their four seasons, this group helped Yale earn a spot in the Ivy League Tournament. The Bulldogs have advanced to the Ivy League Tournament Championship game all four times and won it twice. The seniors are:
- Goalkeeper Caitlin Brown (Mount Kisco, N.Y.)
- Midfielder Caroline Burt (Newtown Square, Pa.)
- Attacker Charlotte Callahan (Hinsdale, Ill.)
- Midfielder Sky Carrasquillo (Alpharetta, Ga.)
- Attacker Jenna Collignon (Hinsdale, Ill.)
- Attacker Shannon Dahlquist (Darien, Conn.)
- Goalkeeper Cami Donadio (Winter Park, Fla.)
- Attacker Taylor Everson (Montclair, N.J.)
- Defender Becca Gill (Weston, Mass.)
- Midfielder Alex Hopkins (Garden City, N.Y.)
- Midfielder Taylor Lane (Norwalk, Conn.)
- Attacker Meghan McCarthy (Potomac, Md.)
- Defender Molly McGuckin (Alexandria, Va.)
- Midfielder Sophie Straka (Chatham, N.J.)
- Defender Lyssa Tyler (Longmeadow, Mass.)
- Midfielder Fallon Vaughn (Concord, Mass.)
Classy
Here is the breakdown of starts by class this season for Yale:
- Seniors 153 starts (10 seniors have started at least one game)
- Juniors 38 starts (two juniors have started at least one game)
- Sophomores 19 starts (one sophomore has started at least one game)
- First-years 12 starts (two first years have started at least one game)
Iron Women
10 Bulldogs have started all 19 games of the season:
- Senior midfielder Sky Carrasquillo (Alpharetta, Ga.)
- Sophomore defender Katie Clare (Bayport, N.Y.)
- Senior attacker Jenna Collignon (Hinsdale, Ill.)
- Senior defender Becca Gill (Weston, Mass.)
- Senior midfielder Taylor Lane (Norwalk, Conn.)
- Senior defender Molly McGuckin (Alexandria, Va.)
- Junior defender Emmy Pascal (Lorton, Va.)
- Junior defender Bella Saviano (Severna Park, Md.)
- Senior midfielder Sophie Straka (Chatham, N.J.)
- Senior midfielder Fallon Vaughn (Concord, Mass.)
Carrasquillo, Clare, Collignon, Lane, McGuckin and Vaughn also started all 20 games last season. Lane and Vaughn have started all 72 games of their Yale careers.
Tewaaraton Nominee Fallon Vaughn
Senior midfielder
Fallon Vaughn (Concord Mass.) was a Tewaaraton Award nominee. She had been on the Tewaaraton Award Watch List since the preseason.
Vaughn is the only player in the Ivy League who has:
- 40 or more goals
- 70 or more points
- 20 or more ground balls
- 15 or more caused turnovers
AND
- 30 or more draw controls
She has 47 goals, 75 points, 27 ground balls, 19 caused turnovers and 39 draw controls.
Climbing the Charts
Senior attacker
Jenna Collignon (Hinsdale, Ill.) ranks among the best goal-scorers all-time in the Ivy League. Here are the career leaders:
1. 249 Francesca Den Hartog, Harvard (1980-83)
2. 228 McKenzie Blake, Princeton (2022-25)
3. 211 Jenna Collignon, Yale (2022-25)
4t. 209 Tracy Ball, Yale (1978-81)
4t. 209 Kyla Sears, Princeton (2018-22)
6. 199 Jacque Weitzel, Dartmouth (1997-00)
A Veteran Coaching Staff
This is Yale's 10th year under
Erica Bamford, Yale's Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of Women's Lacrosse. Assistant coaches
Molly Palella and
Colleen Smith are in their eighth and ninth years, respectively. They earned IWLCA Outstanding Assistant Coach Awards last year. Assistant coach
Brooklyn Neumen joined the staff this year.
NCAA Tournament Selections
NCAA Tournament selections for 2025 were announced this past Sunday at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU. The 29 team field includes 15 automatic qualifiers and 14 at-large selections. Yale earned the Ivy League's automatic berth by winning the Ivy League Tournament last weekend.
NCAA Tournament Seeding, Schedule
The top eight teams in the NCAA Tournament are seeded. The three top overall seeds earned a first-round bye. The remaining 26 teams played first-round games at campus sites last Friday. The eight second-round games took place Sunday. The four quarterfinal-round games take place Thursday (12:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m., 7:30 p.m.), with the top four remaining seeds hosting.
The semifinals and championship game will be played on Friday, May 23 (3:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.) and Sunday, May 25 (12:00 p.m.) at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.
The eight seeded teams are:
- North Carolina (ACC)
- Boston College (ACC)
- Northwestern (Big Ten)
- Florida (Big 12)
- Virginia (ACC) (eliminated by Duke in the second round)
- Maryland (Big Ten) (eliminated by Penn in the second round)
- Yale (Ivy League)
- Johns Hopkins (Big Ten) (eliminated by Princeton in the second round)
Thursday Weather Forecast for Newton, Mass.:
From the
National Weather Service: High 72 degrees, showers likely.
Media Watch
NewsChannel 8 recently featured the Bulldogs twice:
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