NCAA berths hang in the balance for Elis: Women's Lacrosse

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Megan Strenski, MC '02, and the Bulldog women's defense shut down Duke's powerful offense en route to a stunning upset.

Last weekend, the Bulldogs headed to Notre Dame, where a difficult weekend lay ahead of them. Yale, then ranked No. 16 in the country by the Brine/IWLCA Women's Lacrosse Poll, would have to face No. 3 Duke on Sat., Apr. 17, followed by the Fighting Irish on their home field the next day. With only five games left in the season, Yale was sitting on the fringes of qualifying for the NCAA tournament. Only 11 Div. I teams, along with the first-place Div. II team, advance to the tournament, and Yale's number 16 ranking did not bode well for a tournament bid.

The Elis never doubted that they could emerge victorious over Duke. "We knew we could
beat them," Heather Bentley, SY '00, said. "Our level of play was just as
good as theirs." Bentley scored three times in the Bulldogs' eventual 6-5 win over the Blue Devils. Megan Strenski, MC '02, helped Yale's defense by shutting down Duke's top scorer throughout the game. "We learned from our mistakes right away and fixed them," Kate Flatley, SY '01, said.

"We all went in strong, with the mentality that we could come out with a victory if we played as well as we had all season," said Amanda Walton, SY '02, who also added a goal to the Bulldogs' victorious effort. "We had nothing to lose."

Yale's weekend of domination was not over yet, as the women went on to beat Notre Dame, 14-10. Walton contributed five goals and was supported by multiple-goal performances from Bentley, Katherine Myers, PC '01, and Vanessa Kerry, PC '99. Mother Nature seemed to be conspiring against the Elis, however, as rain and adverse conditions forced the game inside and onto artificial turf after the first half. "It was a real question if it would affect the away team, but it really cleaned up our game," Bentley said.

The pair of wins propelled Yale to its current No. 11 ranking, while dropping Duke to No. 5. After starting the season ranked No. 18 in the nation, the Bulldogs are finally in a position to capitalize on their talent and make the NCAAs. Only one voting point separates Yale from No. 10 Dartmouth, one of only two teams to defeat the Bulldogs this season. Rutgers, No. 12 in the nation, currently looms only eight points behind Yale in the voting.

With only two games remaining, the lacrosse team finds itself in the enviable position of being able to control its own destiny. A pair of victories next week against Cornell and Rutgers would assure Yale of at least retaining 11th place and guarantee a trip to Johns Hopkins this May.

However, the Bulldogs must remain on their guard. Their final game against Rut-gers on Wed., Apr. 28, will pit Yale against the greatest threat to its tournament hopes, the team that is in the best position to rush the field and steal the Elis' bid. Two years ago, Yale found itself in the same position, only to lose to Rutgers in the final game of the season. "Rutgers is going to be the most intense game of the season," Walton said. "We have to play as well as we know how."

"It's much better for us to know that whatever happens, we are going to be the ones who decide what happens to us," head coach Amanda O'Leary said.

Whatever the outcome of the final two games of the season, Yale has proven to the country that Eli lacrosse is not to be taken lightly. The team's victory over Duke was the culmination of months of hard work, and it provided the foundation for what could turn out to be an unparalleled season of success. "Personally, it was the greatest moment of my life," Cole said.

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