Bulldogs battle injuries as Ivy race tightens

When asked why the team has been struggling lately, players were quick to name injuries, which have ravaged the Yale line-up, as the main cause. Key team members have been taken out of action, leaving the coaches scrambling to find a new group of players who can fill the void and maintain good chemistry on the field with the core team. In the meantime, starters have had to play through entire games, leading to the inevitable effect of making the team vulnerable on defense. This is particularly detrimental since defensive blunders have been Yale's main problem in recent games. "Our defense has been prone to easy mistakes which our opponents have capitalized on; that's our downfall," midfielder Hiro Suzuki, BR '00, said.

"Nobody is expected to go undefeated in the Ivy League," Phil Harris, SM '00, who scored a goal in Wednesday's win, said. "We lost a game; it just came sooner than expected." Yale will now have to win the rest of its Ivy matchups to have a realistic shot at the League title. In Hanover on Sun., Oct. 18, the Bulldogs will do battle with Ancient Eight power Dartmouth, their first true test of the season. For now, the team is simply trying to focus on each game as it comes and not get too far ahead of themselves. "Without a doubt we'll still contend [for the title]," Brian Larkin, MC '02, said. "We just have to keep on business as usual and keep plugging away at out goal."

--Sara Sani

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