Behind the numbers

Women's Soccer

Ivy League Standings
1. Princeton (6-0, 2-0 Ivy)
2. Harvard (4-1, 2-0)
3. Cornell (2-2-2, 1-0)
4. Dartmouth (3-2, 1-1)
5. Penn (5-1-1, 0-1)
6. Columbia (6-2, 0-1)
7. Brown (2-4, 0-1)
8. Yale (3-4, 0-2)

In the first three games of the season, the Bulldogs outshot their opponents 51-28 and outscored opposing teams 12-4. The combination of an aggressive offensive attack and an impenetrable defense led to a three-game winning streak to open their season. The key to the Bulldogs' wins, however, lies in their explosive first period of play:

First Period Stats

Opponent Yale Goals Shots
Sacred Heart 4 9
Ohio 2 8
CCSU 1 4

However, the last four games have revealed a different Yale team. The daughters of Eli have slowed their offensive production and have been outshot 66-44, scoring only one goal. Two key losses to Ivy rivals Harvard and Cornell have slowly chipped away at the confidence of the Bulldogs. A notable difference with the soccer team has been their inability to score in the first half:

Opponent Yale Goals Shots
Cornell 0 7
Army 0 3
Harvard 0 6
Hartford 0 1

The Bulldog defense has remained consistent in the first period. But the team has lost two games in overtime, and the only offense they have generated has been a goal scored in the 83:26 minute against Army.

The key difference lies in their inabilty to prevent more shots and goals in the second half. Opposing teams have capitalized on the long game, scoring extremely late in the second half:

Opp. Opp. time scored
Harvard 110:02
Cornell 92.26
Army 70:32

In the first three games, the Yale's top three scorers were an unbeatable force on the field, able to penetrate opposing defenses and score at will:

Player Goals Assists
Ali Cobbett 7 2
Chandra King 2 1
Sara Ruiz 1 0

However, the last four games have seen these three stars unable to score. The Daughters of Eli have shown that they are able to steamroll over opponents; only time will tell if they can return to the successes of the early season.

—Compiled by Kevin Tran

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