Crimson Finally Conquers Yale

The Harvard women’s lacrosse team saw its first Ivy League action of the season on Saturday.

In its fifth road game of the season, the Crimson faced off against Yale in New Haven.

With an 11-8 victory, Harvard ended an 11-game losing streak to the Bulldogs and capped off a perfect road trip.

Entering the game, the players knew of the intense enmity between the two camps.

The Crimson (3-5, 1-0 Ivy League) had not won against Yale (5-5, 1-2 Ivy League) since 1994.

“Our coach had reminded us about the history of the rivalry between Harvard and Yale,” sophomore Caroline Simmons said. “We really took that to heart and wanted to beat them.”

With the focused animosity, the team let loose an impressive defensive performance.

Junior co-captain Kathryn Tylander frustrated the Bulldog offense with 12 saves, effectively stopping 60 percent of Yale’s shots.

With her performance, she also held the Bulldogs to only three total goals in the second period.

Tylander was not alone in her effort. Seniors Bridget Driscoll and Allie Kaveney each caused four turnovers, part of 23 total giveaways by Yale.

The defensive effort allowed only eight goals—a season low.

“We really worked on doubling the ball and sliding to shut down the attack, and that’s what our defense did in the game,” Simmons said.

Offensively, Harvard shared the ball. Seven different players added a tally to the scoreboard.

Simmons, sophomores Tara Schoen and Natalie Curtis, and junior Perry Barlow all scored two goals in the victory.

Senior Casey Orr, freshman Kaitlin Martin, and junior Margaret Yellott each added a single goal to the team total.

The game began much differently from what the final result indicated.

The Bulldogs secured an early 3-1 lead, but not for long.

The Crimson unleashed a 5-0 run, bringing the score to 6-3.

The offensive spurt lasted 15 minutes until the Harvard defense suddenly ignited, effectively shutting down the Yale offense.

Two more goals for the Bulldogs and another for Harvard brought the tally to 7-5 going into the half.

The second half was all Crimson. After not allowing Yale to score for another 15 minutes, a 3-0 run by Harvard practically sealed the deal.

Players and coaches agreed that Saturday’s success may be a sign of good things to come.

“We were so excited to win this game,” Simmons said “To start off the Ivy season with a win is a huge turning point in Harvard’s lacrosse program.”

The team will carry its momentum into Wednesday’s game at home against Boston University.