FIELD HOCKEY: Bulldogs continue Ivy League competition against Columbia, beat Laf
This weekend, field hockey suffered an at-home loss to Columbia on Friday but rallied to beat Lafayette on Sunday.
muscosportsphotos.com
The Yale field hockey (6–7, 1–3 Ivy) team had two games at home this weekend at Johnson Field, finding both victory and defeat.
The Bulldogs took a loss against Columbia University (4–8, 2–2 Ivy) on Friday, and rallied hard against Lafayette College (5–11, 1–3 Patriot) on Sunday for a win.
“The highlight of the weekend [was] playing collective team hockey against a very talented Lafayette team,” Bulldog coach Melissa Gonzalez wrote to the News. “We shared the ball, stuck to our principles of play, and took care of the details. It demonstrated the high standard we’re capable of and the performance we are trying to consistently chase.”
On Friday, the Lions scored early in the game against the Bulldogs at the end of the first. Forward Poppy Beales ’26 was able to tie it up for the Blue and White in the third, but the Lions scored another in the fourth to win the game.
In the 32nd minute, rookie Beales slotted in her fourth goal of the season and the sole Blue and White goal of the game. Beales accounted for half of the Blue and White’s shots against the Lions.
The Bulldogs earned six penalty corners throughout the game to the Lions’ four. Goalie Luanna Summer ’24 maintained strong form during the game, ending with four saves.
On Sunday, the Bulldogs rebounded and clinched a win at home against Lafayette.
“The toughest part of the weekend was probably bouncing back from the two losses we had last weekend, and our loss on Friday against Columbia,” Keely Comizio ’25 said.
The game started slow with no goals scored in the first period but quickly got exciting with a hard fought goal in the second.
About 25 minutes in, Maddy Wong ’24 took a penalty corner for the Bulldogs. In a blur of action, Theodora Dillman ’23 attempted a shot and after two more tries from Beales, Lily Ramsey ’25 knocked it in. This was her third goal of the season.
The Bulldogs fought hard and kept the Lafayette Leopards scoreless to win the game. The Leopards attempted 13 shots with five on net. Summer maintained strong form by stopping all five.
Looking ahead, the Bulldogs will play their last three field hockey games of the season against three Ivies — the University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College and Cornell University — in the coming weekends.
“We were eager for a win and this was very evident against Lafayette on Sunday,” Ramsey wrote to the News. “Our support for each other on the field, willingness to do whatever it takes, and ability to stay composed ultimately led to the exciting win. I think that this weekend of competition gives us good momentum heading into this week of practice and a big game against UPenn next Saturday.”
The Bulldogs will host the University of Pennsylvania next Saturday.