Bulldog stars cradling hopes for Ivy crown

Lacrosse attacker Heather Bentley, SY '00, has 28 goals this season. Midfielder Amanda Walton, SY '02, has 25. But after Yale's 6-1 start (1-1 Ivy), they each really have just two goals: an Ivy championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament.

The Bulldogs have shown off a wide array of offensive firepower in their early non-conference victories. In their mid-March wins over Hofstra (13-3), Holy Cross (16-6), and New Hampshire (15-5), every Yale player saw action on the field, while both Walton and Bentley eclipsed the 10-goal mark, with Walton tallying 17 goals and Bentley scoring 12. Goalie and captain Alison Cole, ES '99, emerged as a defensive force, stopping 10 shots against Hofstra.

After defeating Penn, its first Ivy opponent, by a score of 11-5 on Sat., Mar. 20, the team faced a crucial home match-up against Ivy rival Dartmouth on Sat., Mar. 27. Ranked in the nation's top 10, the Big Green came into this season as the Ivy favorite. The Bulldogs knew thay would have to play a technically sound game to stay with Dartmouth. Both teams struggled early on, but the Green soon caught fire, and their offense proved to be unstoppable. "We didn't do any of the little things right. We were sloppy in our passing and catching," Walton said. Yale also struggled with winning loose balls and draws and poor shot selection. "We needed to do a better job of getting to the ground balls and have better draw control," Cole said. One bright spot, however, was the play of Bentley, who netted eight of Yale's nine goals.

After the defeat, the Elis attacked the practice field, working on draws and gathering in free balls. As a result, they came on strong against Vermont and never let up, defeating the Catamounts 19-2 on Sun., Mar. 28, behind four goals from Walton and three each from Bentley and Kate Flatley, SY '01. On Wed., Mar. 31, they topped Fairfield 13-7 and played some of their best lacrosse of the season. "Our coach [Amanda O'Leary] said that every ball that we didn't get against Dartmouth, we need to get back today. And we did," said Bentley, who did her share, notching five goals.

The team is full of stars who are contenders for top honors. After her eight-goal performance against Dartmouth and three-goal encore versus Vermont, Bentley was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week of Mon., Mar. 29. She is currently the team leader in points with 30 and has the season scoring record in sight. Walton, a leading contender for conference freshman of the year honors, was the offensive player of the previous week after she scored five goals against New Hampshire on Wed., Mar. 17. Just a week before, Cole was named Ivy defensive player of the week for her leadership in the net in Yale's early victories. "The seniors are very vocal on the field and really show a lot of energy," Walton said. "Alison brings us in for a pep talk before each game, and that really fires us up."

Despite the team's 1-1 Ivy record, Yale is still in the thick of a tight Ivy race. Preseason favorites Dartmouth and Cornell's records stand at 2-0 and Princeton and Brown both won their first games. The home game against Princeton on Sat., Apr. 10, is shaping up as the Bulldogs' next big test. "It is always tough to get a win against Princeton, but we're not going to change our game plan at all," Cole said. "It'll be harder to win Ivies with the loss, but Princeton and Dartmouth still have to play," Walton said.

Even if the Bulldogs do not win the Ivy League, there is still a chance they will receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Twelve teams make the tournament each year. Yale ranks No. 18 in the current national poll. The Elis have cracked the top 12 before, but never finished a season there. "It's my last year, and I want to be a part of it," Cole said.

The team goes to Harvard on Sat., Apr. 3, before the crucial Princeton match. "We still have a great chance," Bentley said. "We play No. 2 Duke and No. 5 Princeton, and if we beat them, we can move into the top 12."

Photo of Heather Bentley, SY `00, by Julia Tiernan

Back to Sports...