NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The No. 18 Yale women's lacrosse team had a pair of players honored by the ECAC as the organization announced its annual awards Wednesday. Yale's honorees were:
- First-Year attacker Kate Gould (Nyack, N.Y.)
- Senior defender Emmy Pascal (Lorton, Va.)
- ECAC Defensive Player of the Year
- All-ECAC Team
That duo led the Bulldogs to a memorable season. Yale was ranked as high as No. 5 in the ILWomen national poll, and earned an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament. This was the Bulldogs' third straight NCAA Tournament appearance – the first time in school history that has happened.
This year also saw the Bulldogs win the fourth overall and second outright Ivy League Championship in program history (the Bulldogs shared the Ivy title in 1980 and 2003, then won it outright in 2024 and this season). The team went 6-1 in Ivy League play and earned the No. 1 seed in the Ivy League Tournament. The Bulldogs' 13 overall wins tied for the eighth-most in school history.
The ECAC is an 86 year-old intercollegiate athletics organization with roughly 200 member schools for traditional sports across all three NCAA Divisions – I, II and III. The All-ECAC Team includes 15 players.
Here is a look at Yale's honorees:
Kate Gould
Gould has earned multiple honors after her standout first season with the Bulldogs. She was named honorable mention All-America by USA Lacrosse and by ILWomen. She was also one of only five first-years in the nation to earn first team IWLCA All-Region recognition.
Gould's other honors include becoming the first Yale women's lacrosse player to earn the Ivy League Rookie of the Year award since
Katie Sargent '05 in 2002. She also was selected to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List and was named third team ILWomen Midseason All-America. She was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week Feb. 23 and Mar. 16.
Gould was fourth in the Ivy League in draw controls (77), tied for third in the Ivy League in points (64), tied for sixth in the Ivy League in assists (28) and eighth in the Ivy League in goals (36). She was second on the team in shooting percentage (.444) and had at least one point in every game this season.
Gould is a graduate of Nyack High School. She played for Prime Time.
Emmy Pascal
Pascal's awards this season include a first team All-America honor from USA Lacrosse and a second team All-America honor from ILWomen. She also earned her third straight first team IWLCA All-Northeast Region selection.
Last month Pascal became the first Bulldog to be named Ivy League Defender of the Year (the award debuted in 2013). She has earned All-Ivy League honors for three straight seasons (first team this year and in 2024; second team in 2025).
Yale's captain, Pascal received Yale's Nellie Pratt Elliot Award this past weekend as part of Commencement ceremonies. That award is given to the top senior female student-athlete. She also was a Tewaaraton Award nominee (best college women's lacrosse player; one of 25 nominees). She has been on the Tewaaraton Award Watch List for two seasons. This season she has also been named second team ILWomen Midseason All-America, third team ILWomen Preseason All-America and third team USA Lacrosse Preseason All-America. She was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week Mar. 23.
Pascal started all 18 games for a Yale defense that currently ranks fourth nationally in scoring defense (7.61 goals allowed per game). She was second in the Ivy League in caused turnovers (35) and ground balls (40). Pascal was also a critical part of Yale's clears; the Bulldogs currently rank fifth nationally and first in the Ivy League in clears (.931).
Last season Pascal was an honorable mention USA Lacrosse All-America selection. She was named first team IWLCA All-Northeast Region and second team All-Ivy League. An economics major, she earned IWLCA Academic Honor Roll selection.
In 2024 Pascal was third team IWLCA All-America and first team IWLCA All-Northeast Region.
Pascal appeared in 74 games, all starts, in her career.
Pascal is a graduate of St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School. She played for 22 Blue, Sky Walkers.
