Undefeated lacrosse team raises play to next level

There is a distinct difference between good and great, and this past weekend the Yale women's lacrosse team proved it is taking its game to the next level. In their silver anniversary season, the Elis are demonstrating that their team is ready for greatness. Although the team posted a winning record last year (11-5, 4-3 Ivy), Yale has previously been overlooked as a league powerhouse in favor of Princeton or Dart-mouth. That all may change this season.

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Women's lacrosse had an incredible victory over Dartmouth last weekend behind an impressive offensive performance.

"Every year that I've played here, Yale has always been good, but rarely spectacular; we've always pretty much won the games we're supposed to win and lost the games we're supposed to lose," Mollie Ricker, TC '01, said. "But we have all been working especially hard all year to make this season something more, something spectacular, and I think the solid win over Dartmouth, last year's Ivy Co-Champion, this weekend was a good indicator of how far we've come and where we're headed."

The Bulldogs' 13-7 upset of the Big Green was their first win against Dartmouth since 1991, and was largely the result of outstanding team play rather than individual standouts. "This weekend's win was a total team effort. If you look at the goal scorers for Yale, eight different players scored our 13 goals," Captain Liz Gardner, DC '01, explained. "And defensively, it was the effort of every player on the field, from first home to goalie, that enabled us to clog up the midfield and regain the ball in transition."

Although the Bulldogs played fiercely this weekend, their performance was not flawless. In fact, Yale found itself down 4-2 with 19:02 left in the half and rallied back with four straight goals to close out the first half with a 7-5 lead. "What is really exciting is that I don't think we played an excellent game against Dartmouth," Gardner added. "We made a lot of great plays, and things went our way, but as always, if we can clean up a few mistakes here and there, it will bring our play to an even more dominant level." If they continue to build on the offensive and defensive strength exhibited this past weekend, the Bulldogs will be in good shape to take on Princeton on Sat., Apr. 7 and Duke on Sat., Apr. 14. Both teams are ranked above the Elis, and the current Yale squad has yet to beat either team.

Despite their excitement over the Dartmouth win, Yale players are not resting on their laurels quite yet. "Our next big challenge will be Princeton, who has a very strong team and a history of winning Ivy League Championships," Miles Whitman, BK '04, said. "We play Duke at home and they are a nationally ranked powerhouse this year. Also, we can never overlook Cornell, another Ivy League contender."

W. Lacrosse Record: 5-0, 2-0 Ivy Recent Results: Won Vs. Dartmouth, 13-7 Upcoming Games: Sun., Apr. 1 at Holy Cross; Wed., Apr. 4 at Holy Cross

What distinguishes the Bulldogs from the good, but not great, women's lacrosse squads of past seasons? The powerful start to their season (5-0, 2-0 Ivy) can be attributed to more intensity on all levels, not just in games but in practice as well. "We are focused and try to concentrate on limiting our mistakes in practice. We know what we do in practice will be what we do in the game," Clarissa Clarke, JE '03 said. "Players have begun to take responsibility for their performance at practice, and it is resulting in better team play." In addition to a more dedicated work ethic, this year Yale boasts a particularly balanced team. Talented young attackers like Whitman and Clarke have also added offensive depth and appear to be two of the team's best future scoring prospects. They combined for seven (Clarke-4, Whitman-3) of the 13 goals last Saturday. Megan Strenski, MC '02, has already proven herself as a defensive leader and will be especially important next year as the team's only senior. "I think that one of this year's team's biggest strengths is that we are more well-rounded than we have been in past years," Ricker added. "There are always things you need to work on, but there is no one part of our game that is a huge weakness. So far we have improved our play in each game, and that is a very positive trend."

All-around balance is a key advantage; when Yale's leading players are injured there are a number of other talented athletes able to step up. In the second half of the match-up against the Big Green, when Whitman suffered a sprained ankle, the Elis were left without offensive leader. They managed to stay strong due to great performances by several other offensive players, such as Jenn Kessel, DC '04, who came through with the first goal of her collegiate career in the final minutes of the game. "This is the best team I have played on in my four years here because we are so balanced," Gardner said. "We have great depth, which has allowed us to alter our lineup when needed without losing productivity."

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