Soccer teams strive for post-season success

Redemption. Payback. Maybe even revenge. However you describe their recent successes, both the men's and women's soccer teams have rebounded from shaky starts and concluded their regular season campaigns with excellent performances.

With an overall record of 11-5-1, the women's team qualified for a slot in the East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) tournament. This season marks the team's third showing at ECACs, though the Bulldogs have yet to come away with a title. The team is enthusiastic about the post-season. Coach Rudy Meredith remarked, "If we play well, we could win--we're as good as any other team."

Players stress the depth and experience of the 1997 squad, which has learned to play well together and has adjusted to external factors that could have ruined weaker teams. The Elis faced a difficult challenge before games began when captain Jill Rubinstein, DC '98, tore her anterior cruciate ligament during a practice. Rubinstein, who decided to redshirt for the remainder of the year, said, "The beginning [of the season] was shaky with confusion because of things like injuries, but the players now know their place on the field." By working as a unit, the team pulled together. "There are no superstars and we all depend on each other to get the job done," Kelly Totte, DC '98, said.

Julia Tiernan/YH Lorlel Wall (19), SM '00, prepares to assist Blanca Fromm, SM '98, in a recent game

Despite their successes, some players on the team are not content with the season's outcome."This was a disappointing year," Annie Kwon, CC '99, said. After a stunning upset at home over defending league champion Harvard on Sat., Sept. 27, the Bulldogs' hopes of taking the Ivy title became plausible; unable to sustain this level of play, however, the Elis dropped their next two Ivy contests to Princeton and Dartmouth. But "this would [still] be a good season if we win ECACs"Meredith commented. On Sat., Nov. 15, the second-seeded Elis will face Army, who defeated St. John's 2-1 on Thurs., Nov. 13. Yale defeated Army 4-0 on Sat., Oct. 8.

The men's squad also turned its season around. "The catalyst for change was the game against UConn," Coach Brian Tompkins said. "The team hit bottom that day in terms of concentration, work rate, and application." After that game, which the Bulldogs lost 2-1, Tompkins addressed the team. "Unless you begin to exhibit more passion than that, we are going to struggle," he said. The Bulldogs now have an outside shot at the Ivy League title, and an even better chance for a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Following a Fri., Oct. 17 loss to Dartmouth, the team realized the importance of each remaining contest. "After that, it was `do or die' every game," Phil Harris, SM '00, said. With this attitude, the Bulldogs proceeded to win six straight games, building an overall record of 11-4-1.

Tompkins said of the season, "The first half consisted of talking and the second half of doing." The squad realized that refocusing and taking one game at a time helped them reach their goal. "It was a matter of time for everything to come together," captain Sam Powers, DC '98, commented. In addition to a newfound focus, Ryan Berry, MC '99, credits the team's success to "playing well defensively. We've been trying a lot harder and have been more intense." If the men earn an NCAA berth, it would be Yale's first appearance at the tournament since 1991. Two factors will contribute to Yale's playoff chances: its game against Princeton, and the upcoming contest between Brown and Dartmouth. For Yale to secure the Ancient Eight crown, both the Bulldogs and Bears must win their respective contests. The team is anxious and confident heading into the crucial face-off with the Tigers. "It is definitely the biggest game of the year," Mario Ivelgic, SY '99, said.

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