Courtesy of Yale Athletics

The Yale men’s soccer team (10–5–3, 3–1–3 Ivy) defeated Brown University (5–5–8, 2–0–5 Ivy) with a final score of 2–1, winning the Ivy League Tournament. 

After a dominant performance against Harvard University (5–5–7, 3–1–3) in the semi-finals, the Bulldogs continued to prove themselves in a final that was not as close as the ultimate scoreline suggests. 

The team faced off against Harvard on Friday at Franklin Field in Philadelphia for a chance to make the championship game. The Bulldogs took charge of the game from the first whistle, registering a couple of shots in the opening five minutes. Roughly twenty minutes into the game, three shots in quick succession by Yale’s Quanah Brayboy ’25, Jonathan Seidman ’25 and Eric Lagos ’24 set the scene for what was to come. 

In the 23rd minute, Sam Harshe ’25 sent a ball into the box looking to find Lagos, Yale’s biggest aerial threat. Lagos beat his defender to the ball, contorting his body in the air to head the ball into the top-left corner. The unsavable header from Yale’s prolific finisher gave them a deserved 1–0 lead. 

With no more goals in the first half, Yale went into the locker room with a narrow lead but firm control of the game. Yale’s defense has been stellar as of late, and the first half of this monumental game was no different as they prevented Havard from registering a single shot on target. 

The Elis started the second half just as strong and were rewarded for their efforts just ten minutes later. After another onslaught of shots in the minutes prior, Lagos found himself once again heading a cross towards goal. This time, the Harvard goalie was able to save the shot and push the ball wide. The first save was not enough, however, as Brayboy was there to center the ball once again towards Lagos’ head, who put it away for his second goal of the game. 

Just three minutes later, Max Rogers ’24 slotted a beautiful cross on the ground to meet Brayboy’s back post run. Brayboy’s shot was initially blocked by a sliding Harvard defender, but he was able to recover the rebound and push Yale’s lead to 3–0. 

Despite the comfortable lead, the Bulldogs were committed to their pre-game goal of putting on a 90-minute performance. In the 78th minute, Yasin Aly ’25 beat his defender and took a shot from the top of the box. The shot was saved, but Harvard was once again unable to secure the ball and Jamie Orson ’25 was there to capitalize on the second chance. He pushed the ball across the goal line to give Yale their fourth goal of the night. 

The semi-final could not have gone better for the Bulldogs, as their historic victory over their rivals gave them confidence going into the championship game. Yale registered 18 shots to Harvard’s six, with ten of them being on target. The offense and defense both had great performances, as the team scored a season-high four goals and secured their third clean sheet in a row. 

Coach Kylie Stannard shared with the News that he was especially proud of how the team kept their composure despite a few early season losses. 

“They came together and embraced their various roles in the team and bought in to the type of identity we need to be in order to best position ourselves for an Ivy League Championship,” Stannard said. 

With morale high, the Bulldogs awaited the result of the other semi-final between the University of Pennsylvania (7–3–6, 4–1–2 Ivy) and Brown University. The thrilling contest saw multiple comebacks, a bicycle kick goal, late game-tying goals, a penalty save in the last minute of overtime and an eventual victory for Brown in a penalty shootout. The Bear’s underdog victory ended the tournament hosts’ season and sent them to the championship game to face Yale. 

The final, played at 1 p.m. on Sunday, saw the two lower seeds in the tournament face off for a title and the Ivy League’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division 1 Tournament. 

Yale started off the game strong, with early chances for the Bulldogs. Three minutes after kickoff, Lagos reminded everyone how much of a goalscoring threat he is in the box. His timing and positioning set him up to get a close-range shot that was saved by the Brown goalkeeper. Two minutes later, Rogers’ cross to the back post gave Yale another opportunity, but no one was there to convert the chance. 

In the 12th minute, the team utilized Lagos as a hold-up striker. The striker settled a high ball given to him and crossed it into the box towards Brayboy, who was making the run in behind the defense. Brayboy made solid contact on the ball, but the shot was once again saved by Brown’s goalie. Four minutes later, a strong shot by Seidman hit the post but was cleared out by Brown.

In the 32nd minute, a cross near Brown’s goal forced their goalie to push the ball out, where TJ Presthus ’25 headed the ball on target. Despite the Yale players’ calls that the ball crossed the line, the apparent goal line save by the Brown goalie kept the game scoreless. The first half ended 0–0, but with Yale completely outperforming their opponents. The Bulldogs put up eleven shots, six of them on target, while Brown only managed a single shot. However, games are won by only one thing: goals. Yale needed to turn their consistent pressure into actual goals in the second half. 

The Elis started the second half at full speed, with a seemingly pre-planned kick-off play earning them a shot and a corner right away. They kept the pressure high and continued to have the majority of goal-scoring chances, including a header by Orson that sailed just over the crossbar. Despite their struggles, Brown kept Yale’s defense on their toes. In the 62nd minute, a shot from outside the box forced Yale goalie Chris Edwards ’24 to make a diving save. 

In the 66th minute, midfielder Ryan Cote ’25 subbed in for the first time in a game, a decision that would prove critical. Just two minutes later, a ball that was narrowly kept inbounds inside Brown’s 18-yard box found Brayboy. He showed off his technical ability, settling the ball with his chest and flicking it over to Rogers before it even touched the ground. Rogers then played a short pass to Cote, who used his first touch to open his body and face the goal. A great left-footed shot towards the back post by the substitute gave Yale the 1–0 in the 68th minute. 

Not long after, in the 72nd minute, Lagos’ hard work paid off as he fought to win a ball played long. He outworked two defenders to progress the ball forward, forcing Brown’s goalie to come out and get his hands on it, stopping the ball but not securing it. Even though the defender tracking back pushed Lagos to the ground, he was first to the loose ball. Without even getting up or facing the right way, he swung his leg to send the ball towards the goal. Brown’s sprinting defender was not quick enough as he watched the ball roll its way towards the back post and into the side netting. Yale now had a 2–0 lead. 

With Brown’s reputation for late goals, the game was far from over. A Brown corner saw them get their closest chance of the game so far, as their player settled the ball within a couple yards of the goal and hit a very hard shot low at the first post. Despite the Bears’ previous struggles to create offensive chances, Edwards was ready for action when it mattered, as he showed off his reflexes with a heroic save that kept Brown off the board. 

Unfortunately, the subsequent corner, which was whipped into a crowded six-yard box, was headed into the net by Harri Sprofera. The game was now 2–1 in the 76th minute. Despite Yale’s dominant performance, Brown was a late goal away from tying the game – and with Brown having done exactly that in the semi-final against Penn, Yale fans were unable to relax until the final whistle. 

The Bulldogs held off their opponents’ attacking efforts for the remaining 14 minutes, proving themselves victorious after 90 minutes. After a blowout win against Havard in the semi-finals and a dominant but narrow win against Brown in the final, the Yale men’s soccer team was crowned Champions of the Ivy League Tournament. 

“It’s good to have all the hard work and sacrifice pay off,” captain Jake Schaffer ’24 told the News. “I’m proud of all 31 guys on the team for everything they have done this season.”

The team will surely make some time to celebrate their victory before getting back to work, as their win extended their season by securing them a spot in the NCAA Division 1 Tournament. The single-elimination tournament will feature 48 teams competing for a national championship: 23 conference champions who earned automatic bids and 25 teams selected by the NCAA D1 Men’s Soccer Committee. The Bulldogs first round matchup will be against Bryant University this Thursday, November 16th, at 6 p.m. in Rhode Island.

The first time the Yale men’s soccer team qualified for the NCAA tournament was exactly 50 years ago in 1973.