NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale women's soccer team is set to kick off its 2026 campaign this week, hosting Vermont in its home and season opener on Thursday, Aug. 20, and then will take a quick trip to Quinnipiac on Sunday, Aug. 23.
 
Vermont at Yale
Thursday, Aug. 20 – 7 p.m.
Reese Stadium
New Haven, Conn.
ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
Yale at Quinnipiac
Sunday, Aug. 23 – 1 p.m.
Quinnipiac Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium
Hamden, Conn.
ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
"I am excited for this group to hit the field together and continue to learn about ourselves," said Sarah Martinez, the Loring Family Head Coach of the Bulldogs. "We had a very productive off-season, and I was most impressed with the way this group has hit the ground running since returning. We've made huge strides each day and the standard that our seniors are setting has been tremendous. Our first-years came in prepared and have had a seamless transition, largely due to the environment they've walked into."
 
"As we talk about each day, the goal is to stay where our feet are and continue to get better each day as a group," Martinez added.
 
2026 Schedule | 2026 Roster

Scouting the Competition

The Catamounts enter the week with a 0-1-1 record and are coming off a 2-0 loss to Sacred Heart on Sunday. Vermont was picked to finish third in the America East preseason poll, while Bridget Kennedy and Madeline Gardner were tabbed to the Preseason All-Conference Team.

The Bobcats enter the week with a 0-1-1 record and are coming off an 8-0 loss at No. 8 North Carolina. Quinnipiac was selected to finish third in the Metro Preseason Coaches' Poll, while Morgan Cupo and Corey Anderson were tabbed to the Preseason All-Metro Team.

Preseason Picks

The Bulldogs were picked to finish seventh in the Ivy League preseason poll, announced on Tuesday. Princeton was selected to finish at the top with 120 points and 10 first-place votes. Dartmouth and Brown also received first-place votes—four and two, respectively—and were voted to finish second and third. Columbia came in fourth, followed by Harvard and Penn, with Cornell and Yale rounding out the poll in a tie for seventh.

Fresh Faces
The Bulldogs welcomed the addition of six newcomers for the 2026 season, all bringing strong credentials on and off the pitch. Cindy Yang, Hope McMillin, Isabel Willems, Kyleigh Carr, Nia Freeman, and Peyton O'Shaughnessy all look to make their Yale debuts.

(Goal) Keeping It Real
Goalkeeper Kyla Holmes returns for her senior campaign after leading the league last season in saves per game (4.86), ranking second in shutouts (four) and fifth in save percentage (.716). Holmes played in 14 games and had a performance to remember, recording a career-high 11 saves against No. 25 Vanderbilt.

The Captain
The Bulldogs are led this season by Karoline Hernes, a standout midfielder on and off the field. A Mechanical Engineering major, she's coming off an impressive junior season in which she earned Academic All-Ivy recognition and CSC Academic All-District honors. On the field, she started all 13 games, tallying two assists, and logged a career-high 990 minutes.
 
Up Next
The Bulldogs will remain on the road and face Northeastern on Thursday, Aug. 27 and Virginia on Sunday, Aug. 30.