Sady and Bencsik found the back of the net (Penny Ashford).

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Rallying with a pair of goals in the final eight minutes, Harvard men's soccer opened Ivy League play with a 2-1 victory over Yale on Saturday at Reese Stadium.

The Crimson (2-5-1, 1-0-0 Ivy) got goals from freshman Cornelius Bencsik and senior Christian Sady in the 84th and 88th minutes, respectively, with assists credited to senior Eric Gylling and sophomore Philip Hausen. Senior Kyle Parks earned the win between the posts, making a pair of saves.

Yale (3-5-0, 0-1-0 Ivy) struck first with a goal in the 29th minute from Aldo Quevedo, and the Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead into the half. Harvard outshot the Bulldogs by a 5-2 margin in the second frame, and knotted the score after a tremendous volley from Bencsik near the top of the 18-yard box. Sophomore Joel Serugo's long throw-in caused trouble in the box, and Gylling helped deflect the ball to the freshman for the equalizer.

Just four minutes later, Harvard countered down the right side with Hausen finding Sady for an 18-yard shot to the near post that found its way into the back of the net. The score was the first of the year for Sady, and sent Harvard to the victory.

Harvard Highlights:

• Bencsik scored his second-career goal, which gives him the team lead on the season.
• Sady's netted his first goal of the season, and the ninth of his career.
• Hausen and Gylling tallied assists, which gives them each a share of the team lead with two on the year.
• Parks earned his second victory of the year, making a pair of stops.

Game Notes:

• Harvard is unbeaten in its last four Ivy openers, all against Yale.
• Harvard posted its first win over Yale since 2015, and is unbeaten in the series over the last four meetings.

What's Next?
Harvard breaks from Ivy play with a midweek clash against New Hampshire on Tuesday, October 3. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. at Jordan Field, and the game will be broadcast on NESN and the Ivy League Network.