Women's soccer dazzles

BY TAMAR SCHWARTZ

The scenario sounds almost too good to be true: women's sports team returns from summer hiatus; wins first two games; outscores first two opponents, 8-1; five out of the team's top six scoring weapons are back on the field; and its goalkeeper is one of the best in the Ivy League. One would think that the remainder of the year would be smooth sailing, right?

That's not the case for the Yale women's soccer team. After ending last season on what Coach Rudy Meredith called a "demoralizing" note, remaining in contention for a title up until the last several games, there is more pressure than ever on the Elis to play well, especially in games against top NCAA teams.

COURTESY SPORTS PUBLICITY After starting their season off with two huge wins, the Bulldogs hope to continue their offensive intensity.

According to Meredith, the disappointing end of last season, which led to a fifth-place finish in the Ivy League, will "serve as a motivational tool for the younger players."

Captain Sara Ruiz, BR '02, shared a similar sentiment. "We try to look at the bad things in a positive light," she said. "We don't want [an upset] to happen again this year, so everyone is more focused on coming together earlier in the season."

Such dedication certainly shone through as the Bulldogs kicked off their season with a 5-0 romp over Sacred Heart on Fri., Sept. 7 and a 3-1 win over Ohio on Sun., Sept. 9. Midfielder Ali Cobbett, BR '03, led the offense with three goals against Sacred Heart and two goals and one assist against Ohio. Goalkeeper Katherine Ling, TD '03, and forward Ritha Belizaire, BR '02, each added a goal in the Sacred Heart shutout.

The team's freshmen made a strong showing against Ohio; Lindsay Demaree, SM '05, and Maureen Metzger, SM '05, contributed two assists and one assist, respectively.

Despite the team's strong start this season, Meredith is wary of his players falling into a trap of complacency, especially with Providence coming up next week and Harvard looming in the near future. He hopes to secure a better record in the tough Ivy League; in the past five years, Yale has won only one game against the league's top three threats, Dartmouth, Harvard, and Princeton. Moreover, the team can expect fierce opposition from non-Ivy foes.

"It's still very early in the season," Meredith said. "As an ex-perienced team, we realize we have tougher opponents ahead. We haven't beaten an NCAA team yet."

Whether facing strong or weak competitors, the Bulldogs hope to guard against what Meredith called a tendency for inconsistent play. "No matter who we're playing, we have to go onto the field with the same intensity and drive to win," he said.

"[These wins] have been helpful because they were not [against] our best opponents," Ruiz said. "Our morale has been boosted further—when you see all that work pay off, it's really encouraging. It's good to know we can build on these wins and play well against tougher opponents."

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