April 12, 2006

Box Score |  Photo Gallery | Video Highlights

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - A 6-0 run in the second half helped Yale erase an 8-6 deficit en route to a 12-9 win over Columbia Wednesday afternoon at Johnson Field. Lonnie Sarnell made five saves in relief of starter Ellen Cameron to pick up the win in goal.

Columbia (5-7, 0-6 Ivy) won the opening draw and Holly Glynn snuck one past Cameron for a 1-0 lead 30 seconds in. When goals by Elyse Pultz and Rachael Ryan extended the lead to 3-0, the Bulldogs called a timeout.

"We came out flat," said Amanda O'Leary, Yale's Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of Women's Lacrosse. "Columbia is a good team, and very well-coached. You can't afford to get behind against them."

After Jenn Warden won the draw control Lauren Taylor began Yale's response, delivering on a free-position shot for the Bulldogs' first goal of the day. Taylor then added another goal two minutes later.

The Bulldogs (7-6, 2-3 Ivy) tied it up at the 20:27 mark thanks to a nice play by Warden. In one motion, she reached out to snag a pass from Meredith Callahan and fired it past Columbia goalkeeper Marcela Calidonio.

Taylor put the Bulldogs ahead with another free-position goal at 12:53, leading to a Columbia timeout.

The Lions regained their momentum quickly. They tied it on a free-position goal by Glynn with 7:44 left, then went ahead by two on a pair of goals by Kate Lombard.

Sarnell came in after Lombard's second goal, 4:47 before halftime. She denied a free-position shot with under four minutes to play, but Calidonio scooped up a Kat Peetz shot with two minutes to play to maintain Columbia's lead.

After Columbia sailed a free-position shot wide, Warden pulled Yale within 6-5 just before halftime. Sarnell then made a big save on a free-position shot by Carrie Anderer as time expired to keep the score right there.

"We knew we could pull it out," said O'Leary of her team's mentality at halftime. "Lonnie did a great job coming in. She made some saves that really sparked our defense."

Columbia was able to get the lead back up to two in the first minute of the second half, as Anderer's free-position goal made the score 7-5. Marya Myers' goal, assisted by Peetz, pulled Yale back to within one a minute later, but the Lions answered with a Catherine Lee goal.

Keeping up with the rapid-fire pace, Yale got a free-position goal from Peetz to get back within one. That capped a string of four goals in the first 2:45 of the half by the two teams.

Peetz' goal wound up being the start of Yale's 6-0 run. The Bulldogs pulled even at the 23:33 mark. Operating behind the goal, Taylor found a cutting Lara Melniker for the game-tying tally.

Sarnell came up with a big save with 22:30 to play, but Calidonio denied a pair of tries by Carli Vogler to keep the game tied.

Taylor put Yale ahead for good with her fourth goal of the game at 19:26. Sarnell made another key save after a Yale turnover, denying Anderer again.

A nice pass from Callahan found Marya Myers wide-open right in front of the net, and Myers' goal gave Yale some breathing room. Sara Greenberg followed with a nice solo effort, making almost a complete circle around the cage to create her own shot and pick up her 11th goal of the year with 16:11 to play.

Now trailing 11-8, Columbia called another timeout, but the Bulldogs' defense clamped down for the rest of the game. The Yale offense was able to control the ball and take valuable time off the clock as well.

Taylor Fragapane added a goal with just over a minute remaining, and Pultz tacked one on for Columbia with seven seconds left for the `12-9 final.

Yale improves to 10-0 all-time against the Lions, though this was the first time Columbia has come within six goals of the Bulldogs.

Taylor's four goals leave her just one shy of the 40-goal mark.

"They put a face guard on her, and she still was able to generate a lot of shots," noted O'Leary.

Callahan and Greenberg picked up three draw controls each, helping Yale to a 12-11 edge in that category. Sarnell finished with five saves to earn her second win of the year.

Yale returns to action on Sunday April 16, hosting Cal at Noon.

report by Sam Rubin '95 (sam.rubin@yale.edu), Yale Sports Publicity