Behind Walton, Bulldogs hunt for Ivy title

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Leading scorer Amanda Walton (right), SY '02, also leads the Bulldogs with her aggressive and hard-working attitude on the field.

Yale's chances at a title depend on its upcoming game against No. 2 Princeton.

Both teams, 7-1 overall, have a nearly flawless record. Both teams boast a player who has tallied 26 goals on the season. Both teams initially appear identical, yet their position in the national rankings would indicate that Yale and Princeton are less Gemini and more David-and-Goliath.

Since the beginning of the season, the No. 14 Bulldogs have been anticipating their game against the No. 2 Tigers, whom they must defeat to have any hope of taking the Ivy League crown. Defender Megan Strenski, MC '02, believes that her team "is starting to peak at the right time" to take home the much-needed victory over Princeton. On Sun., Apr. 2, the Bulldogs snatched a tight 7-6 victory over Harvard, which puts them in position to take the league title if they can defeat Princeton and Dartmouth, also ranked ahead of them in the Ivy standings. "If we didn't win, we would have had no chance at the Ivy League championship, no chance at beating Princeton," attacker Amanda Walton, SY '02, said.

With the Harvard victory, coupled with a 17-8 romp over Boston College on Wed., Apr. 5, the Bulldogs believe that they have hit their stride. "The first few weeks were an adjusting period," goalie Amanda Laws, BK '03, said. "It was a time for the team to gel on the field. It was definitely a learning process, and we fared well." They certainly did—on the attack, on defense, and in the goal cage. Given the team's success, the adjustment per-iod seems to have had few, if any, adverse effects. Inspired offense, impenetrable defense

On offense, the Elis have received inspired play from a number of sources, most notably Walton, who has amassed 29 points, and attacker Clara Gillespie, PC '01, who has added 20. The barrage of scoring does not stop there, however: attacker Clarissa Clarke, JE '03, attackers Heather Bentley, SY '00, and Kate Flatley, SY '01, have all posted over 10 points on the season. "I think we are extremely fast," Walton said. "We have no weak links. The scoring is spread out very well." And with each passing game, the unit grows stronger and stronger. "We have a lot of talent on offense," Laws said. "We have the ability to score goals at will. When playing together as a team, we are unstoppable."

W. Lacrosse

Record: 7-1 (2-1 Ivy) Recent Results: Won vs. Fairfield, 22-3; Won vs. Harvard, 7-6; Won at Boston College, 17-8. Coming Up: Sat., Apr. 8 at Princeton, 2 p.m.; Wed., Apr. 12 vs. Columbia, 4 p.m.

The Bulldog defense, which was somewhat off-kilter at the beginning of the season, has also begun to coalesce. If the Harvard and Boston College victories are any indication, future opponents will face an airtight unit in front of the goal. "The defense has done pretty well," Laws said. "Some adjustments have had to be made [in the course of the season]. But [the problems] have been corrected. We finally, especially in the [Harvard] game, began to click with each other. Every good little thing came together in that game." In particular, Strenski, Liz Gardner, DC '01, Mollie Ricker, TC '01, and Verena Phipps, DC '00, have shown superb leadership abilities. The underclassmen, particularly Heather Richey, BR '02, and Jan Ricca, TC '02, have taken a cue from the upperclassmen and have all had a hand in the team's recent success.

All season, goalie Amanda Sisley, JE '03, has anchored the defense. After the graduation of Alison Cole, ES '99, who started in each of her four seasons at Yale, there was some uncertainty about who would be qualified to replace her. C.K. Barber, DC '02, who saw some time in goal during her freshman campaign, and Laws were both contenders for the position, but after a few weeks, Sisley has established herself as a reliable starting goalie. "She has done a great job," Strenski said. "I can't imagine playing goalie as a freshman. With each game, she gains confidence." Of Sisley's play of late, Laws added, "In the game against Harvard, she stepped up and made big saves." Sisley has been unbeatable all season, with 43 total saves for a 0.570 goals-against average.

Individual firepower

The collective success of both the offense and the defense has been sparked by the inspired play of a few individuals, particularly in the freshman class. "They have adjusted and fit right in," Strenski noted. Clarke is third on the team in scoring, with 15 goals and one assist in the first seven games of the season. Attackers Sarah Queener, SY '03, Anne Graf, ES '03, and midfielder Ali Cobbett, BR '03, have all appeared in at least seven of the team's eight games, contributing a great deal to the team's transition game.

While the freshmen have played an important part in the team's fortunes, Walton has clearly established herself as the team's best player and—though only a sophomore—one of its strongest leaders. Through seven games, Walton had posted a team-high 29 points on 26 goals and 3 assists. Only Gillespie, with 20 points, comes close to matching the midfielder's statistics.

Walton's teammates appreciate what she brings to the squad. She is a leader by example, always giving everything she has in every game. "She goes hard," Laws said. "Once she sets foot on the field, she is out there giving her all. It rubs off on the team. You want to be out there competing with her. You want to stop her. On offense, the players want to respond to her." Walton, however, is modest about her role on the team. "Personally, leading by example is one of the most important characteristics of a leader," she said. "I try to have a good attitude, and just work really, really hard."

The Bulldogs' fate against Princeton hinges largely on Walton's ability to score. The team realizes that a win against Princeton is essential to have a chance at the Ivy League title and at moving up in the national rankings.

Despite the pressure, the Elis are confident. "We know when we play our game, we are unstoppable," Laws said. "We have to make sure we play together." This team unity must endure from the beginning to the end of the game. "If we continue to play hard for 60 minutes rather than just a half, we should do fine," Walton said. "We need more intensity if we want to beat Princeton. We have huge games coming up against ranked opponents.

"I think we have so much potential," she concluded. "It is just a matter of putting it all together. I think we're still working on that. We have a long way to go, but I think we can get there if we continue to play our same game." If the pieces continue to fall together this weekend, the Bulldogs certainly have a chance of upsetting Princeton—and maybe even capturing the Ivy title.

Photo of Megan Strenski, MC '02, by Julia Tiernan.

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