Sports Shorts

Winning season on the line as Bulldogs close against Princeton

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Captain Danny Moss, MC ¹01, came back from an injury to lead the Elis.

A victory over Brown, which entered the game with a perfect league record, certainly seemed a daunting challenge for the Bulldogs, who fell to 8-7-1 (3-3 Ivy) with the loss. But Yale came out strong in the first half when, on a goal by Stuart Yingst, BK '03, the Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead. However, the second half belonged to the Bears, who scored twice while shutting down the Eli offense en route to their sixth league win in as many mat-ches this season. "It was a game of two completely different halves for us," Head Coach Brian Tomp-kins said. He was quick to point out that his squad remained aggressive in the second half, hoping to score another goal rather than merely protect their lead. "We probably could have been more conservative in the second half in our approach," he said.

The Bulldogs must now turn their attention to their season finale against Princeton, a game that takes on added importance because of its implications for Yale's final place in the standings. "If we win, we'll finish third in the league," Moss said. "If we lose, we'll be fifth. We really want to finish in the top half of the league." Moss noted that, in his four years here, the Bulldogs have never finished the season in the bottom half of the league, a trend he certainly plans to continue this season. The game will be Moss' and his fellow seniors' last as Bulldogs, giving the team further incentive to beat the Tigers. "We would like to let the seniors walk out with one last home victory," Jay Alberts, SY '03, said.

For Alberts, Yingst, and others, though, the focus may not be as much on Princeton as on next season and beyond. "The way this team is constructed right now, they should be in a position to really make an impact in 2001 and 2002," Tompkins said. As for 2000, any regrets? "I was hoping to lose a little weight," he said. "No, no, never any regrets."

—Ted Diskant



MEN'S HOCKEY

Bulldogs open with stunning victories over top teams

Facing New Hampshire in the season opener, the Bulldogs came from behind to erase the Wildcat's 3-2 lead. Captain Ben Stafford, BR '01, and Earl both scored in the final period to put Yale on top, 4-3. Then, on Tues., Nov. 7, with the campus' attention focused on the presidential election, the Bulldogs scored early and often, building a 4-1 lead and then holding on for an eventual 4-3 upset. Lombard held his ground, stopping 14 of 15 BC shots in the second period alone. Then, during the last two minutes of the game, Lombard and Bulldogs had to stave off a 6-4 Eagle power play.

"It's been a dream start for us," Head Coach Tim Taylor told the New Haven Register. Indeed, the Bulldogs entered the season ranked No. 9 in the ECAC, with their two opening match-ups among the toughest on their schedule, and two upsets seemed improbable. "To be 2-0 at this point is beyond anyone's fondest dreams," Taylor said.

Yale will now have to turn its attention to its ECAC opener this Fri., Nov. 11 agai-nst St. Lawrence. They face Clarkson on Sat., Nov. 12. Both games are at home.

—Ted Diskant



VOLLEYBALL

Big Green seeks revenge

Dartmouth is looking to avenge a surprising 3-0 regular season loss to the Bulldogs this weekend, when the Big Green (9-13, 4-3 Ivy), ranked fifth in the Ivy League, once again faces No. 3 Yale (13-6, 4-3 Ivy). The Fri., Nov. 10 match marks the first round of the Ivy League tournament, held at Harvard.

"Dartmouth is looking to come back from last time we played them," Head Coach Peg Scofield said. "Their better hitter was shut down by [Yale Captain] Stephanie McMahon [TC '01], and their middle blocker did not play well. But they are a very strong defensive team and they're tenacious, so they're going to come out full force."

The Bulldogs will need to eliminate mental errors in order to take down the Big Green. "We all have to step up and play as one unit," McMahon said. "Dartmouth is a very scrappy team, they dig a lot of balls and always get the ball back on the other side. We need to use our strengths of blocking, hitting, and defense as well as our chemistry as a unit on the court to beat them."

If the Bulldogs advance to the second round, they will face No. 1 Princeton on Sat., Nov. 11. Princeton is the most consistent team in the league. "They're a big team, they have strong defense and they rarely make mental errors," Scofield said. "But we haven't made any major changes in the past few weeks, and with the adrenaline going, and with the seniors taking the lead, we should be good." —Anna Dolinsky

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