No. 14 Yale jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the game's first 15 minutes, then kept the pressure on the rest of the way to finish with a decisive 18-3 victory over UConn Wednesday afternoon at Johnson Field. Ten different players scored goals for the Bulldogs, including the first career goals for sophomore attacker Lindsey DeMarco, freshman defender/midfielder Kaitlyn Flatley and freshman midfielder Ariana Papier. It was a season high in goals for Yale and the fewest goals UConn has scored in a game since a 13-3 loss to BU seven years ago. Senior goalkeeper Ellen Cameron made nine saves.

Yale (6-3) left little chance for UConn (0-8) to think of getting its first win of the season. A turnover in the midfield caused by senior midfielder Kat Peetz enabled senior midfielder Lauren Taylor to start Yale's scoring spree with an unassisted goal two minutes into the game. Five minutes later, a goal by junior midfielder Linden Ellis, set up by junior midfielder Jenn Warden, started a stretch in which Yale scored three times in three minutes. Peetz and Taylor accounted for the other Bulldog goals.

Yale had another scoring spurt, this one three goals in two minutes, midway through the first. Sophomore attacker Jessica Sturgill fed junior midfielder Taylor Fragapane for the first. After Warden added an unassisted goal, Ellis scored on a Fragapane assist to make it 7-0 at the 14:42 mark. That prompted a UConn timeout.

The Huskies finally solved Cameron, who made several point-blank saves early on, when Katie Devaney scored off a free position at 13:38. A pair of goals by Warden followed. After a free-position goal by UConn's Katie Parker, Fragapane and Taylor scored again to make it 11-2 heading into halftime. Those two and Warden would each finish with three goals.

Fragapane's goal two minutes into the second half made the margin 10, so the clock kept running. The Bulldogs ensured it would keep running even while making full use of their bench. A total of 24 Bulldogs saw action Wednesday, including the varsity debut for freshman midfielder Myra Trivellas.

After goals by Sturgill and senior attacker Meredith Callahan extended the lead to 14-2, DeMarco got her first career tally at 13:59. After a goal by UConn's Laura Eichert, Flatley got her first career goal, and Papier's came shortly after that. Sophomore midfielder Sydney Schreppler assisted on Flatley's goal for her first career point.

DeMarco added another goal with 1:53 remaining, and a late save by Cameron kept the Huskies from getting any closer. This was the second time in five games Yale limited its opponent to three goals.

The Bulldogs return to action at Johnson Field with a key Ivy League matchup against archrival Harvard Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on WYBC 1340 AM and there will be a postgame reception for all Yale women's lacrosse alumnae.

2008-03-26