Sports Shorts

Bulldogs fall to Brown again despite stellar defensive effort

The 2-1 final score of the field hockey team's game against Brown was all too familiar to the team's veterans, who lost by the exact same margin to the Bears in 1997 and 1998. In their loss last year, they came closest to victory, outshooting the Bears 22-12. But the Bulldogs did not pose the same type of threat on Sat., Sept. 18. This time the Bears outshot them 23 to 15 and dominated the field for most of the game. "They deserved the win," coach Marisa Didio said.

The Bulldogs failed to convert on two or three early scoring opportunities. "We need to take advantage of these opportunities, just like we can't be throwing the ball away," Didio said. When the defense was able to gain possession, it had trouble holding onto the ball. "They would just give away the ball," she said. "To Brown's credit, they gave a good amount of pressure. We need to work on handling the ball in a composed fashion."

Yale did a solid job of keeping Brown from making a run early in the second half, giving up only one goal. Forward Amanda Walton, SY '02, assisted by captain Sue Barnes, DC '00, tied the game with a fast-break goal. Unfortunately, Yale was soon on the defensive again. The Elis successfully prevented Brown from scoring on any of its 16 corners in the second half, but the defense couldn't keep it up, as Brown scored the game-winner.

Didio was disappointed that the team was not able to take the game into overtime, but pointed out that the season is still young. "This was only the fourth game in a marathon season, and this is a growing and developing team," she said. "The system that we play under is in place, but the personnel in some spots has changed. We are still developing roles and the people within these roles, drawing on a large group of 14 people."

The Elis showed progress in their next contest on Wed., Sept. 22, defeating Fairfield 2-1 in an overtime thriller. Forward Erin Arruda, JE '01, scored the winning goal in extra time. "It took us a while to get started, but we deserved to win," midfielder Tovia Martirosian, CC '02, said. The squad hopes that the momentum carries over to Sat., Sept. 25, when they face archrival Harvard at home.

—Katie Rigney

Eight is great

The men's golf team began its season with a strong outing on Sat., Sept. 18 and Sun., Sept., 19 at the 28th annual Yale Fall Invitational tournament. Yale's top team finished eighth out of 36 teams with a total score of 596, and team captain Peter Schumacher, CC '00, placed fourth individually with a two-day total of 142.

The Bulldogs were pleased with their performance. "I was delighted that they were third after the first round," Coach Dave Patterson said. Nate Mickelson, SY '02, agreed. "We came out on the first day and showed everyone we can play," he said.

The University of Rhode Island was the only team in District I to finish ahead of Yale, suggesting that the Elis are an early-season favorite in their region. Yale also finished well ahead of another local rival, the University of Connecticut. "Our main goal was to beat the New England teams," Schumacher said. "Our performance is encouraging for the rest of the fall season. We're on track for another NCAA bid."

Despite the several inches of rain that Hurricane Floyd dumped on the course, it was in good playing condition. "The golf course staff did a great job getting the course ready," Patterson said.

On Sat., Sept. 25 and Sun., Sept. 26, Yale will compete in the Dartmouth Invitational. The Bulldogs have played very well in this tournament recently, winning in two of the past three years. "We should do well this weekend," Patterson said. "We're confident we can pull it out."

—Jeffrey Amster

Primed for another national championship berth

Mix four players returning from semesters abroad and a talented crop of veterans and rookies and then subtract only three seniors. What emerges is the Yale women's rugby club. The women, fresh off a 1998 season in which they competed in the national championship tournament, are looking to surpass last year's success.

The Bulldogs traveled to Massachusetts recently, turning in a strong performance at the annual preseason Beantown Tournament. Yale's A-side beat the University of Connecticut in a 37-0 rout on Sat., Sept. 18 before losing a close game to traditional powerhouse Penn State later in the day. On Sun., Sept. 19, the women pulled out a 15-7 win over the Radcliffe ruggers, a conquest that bodes well for the traditional Eli-Radcliffe grudge match coming up on Sat., Oct. 2.

"Beantown has always been an important tournament for us to gauge our strengths," Sasha Kohnowich, BR '00, said. Yale entered two teams in the Beantown Tournament, forcing the B-side to compete in the strong, experienced A-side division.

A large senior class anchors this year's team, led by forwards captain Christine Parker, ES '00, and backs captain Amanda Munoz, CC '00. Parker, fresh off of a semester in South Africa, will lead a pack of veterans that has enough size to dominate this year's scrums. That size will be necessary on Sat., Sept. 25 against the University of Massachusetts if the Elis plan to avenge last year's season-ending 51-0 rout.

The more distant future also looks good for the club. A remarkably large freshman class is likely to further Yale dominance for seasons to come. "It is not just about one person, but about everyone deciding to step up their personal commitment and put in a hundred percent effort to support each other in order to succeed," Munoz said.

—Laurie Randell

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