NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Women's lacrosse fell to No. 8 Yale in a back-and-forth contest that saw the nationally ranked Bulldogs and Crimson combine for 27 goals on Saturday afternoon.
The Crimson found the back of the net more than any team the Bulldogs have played this season and even led 12-8 with 9:34 left in the third quarter, but Yale responded with six of the next seven goals in the game to remain perfect in Ivy League play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Yale opened the scoring early in the first quarter with two quick goals before Cecelia Batchelder got Harvard on the board off an assist from Grace Mullahy for her 19th of the season.
Harvard went on its first run of the game after the Batchelder goal, adding two more - one from each Batchelder sister - to tie the game at three apiece before Yale added two more to lead 5-3 at the end of the first quarter.
The Harvard offense exploded in the second quarter with six goals to flip the script and take a 9-7 lead heading into the half. Outscoring the Bulldogs 6-2 in the second quarter, the Crimson got big goals from Kate Gilliam, Callie Batchelder, Hannah Shiels, Natalie Marvin, and Lexie Koch, with Gilliam the only Crimson player to score twice in the quarter.
Charlotte Hodgson picked up where the Crimson left off in the third quarter, scoring three consecutive goals to put Harvard up 12-8 before Yale responded with four straight goals to tie the game heading into the fourth.
Hodgson added her fifth goal of the game early in the fourth to put Harvard up one, but Yale answered with two crucial goals midway through the final quarter.
Despite continued pressure from the Crimson offense, the Bulldogs held on late to secure the 14-13 victory.
NEXT UP
Harvard heads to UConn on Tuesday for its final non-conference matchup of the season.
