Coming off its biggest win of the season against No. 13 Dartmouth, the Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team ventures into Ivy League territory once again to take on Yale in the inaugural game at the newly-completed Reese Stadium.

With two straight wins, the Minutewomen (2-3) are in position to rebound from a tough 0-3 start and get back to the .500 mark. Beyond just improving the record, the turnaround, which included the team’s first win over a ranked opponent since the 2007 season, has given a young UMass team a newfound confidence.

‘Especially for some of the younger, even older, girls, [the Dartmouth game] gives us a taste of what it feels like to play a full 60 minutes, playing such a great team and really working on the details and executing,’ UMass coach Alexis Venechanos said.

‘I was really proud of how our team reacted to playing with a lead, something we haven’t been a part of for the majority of the season,’ she added.

Despite a 1-3 record, the Bulldogs have played well this season. Venechanos sees Yale as one of the country’s top programs that has played much beyond its record.

‘Yale’s a very competitive, very strong program. Their record isn’t an indication of how well they’ve played. They have strong leadership all over the field, and they have talented players,’ Venechanos said. ‘So it’s going to be a great matchup; it’s going to be a close battle, and we’re looking forward to the opportunity.’

The Bulldogs are led by senior Jenn Warden, who has 13 goals this season and junior Jenna Block (nine points on five goals and four assists). Warden comes into the game on a high-note individually, scoring four of the team’s nine goals in a 14-9 loss to Stony Brook. Block, meanwhile, started off on the bench but has worked her way into the starting lineup after recording five points in the season opener against Fairfield.

Both sophomore Katie Janian and freshman Katie Quackenbush have seen time in goal for Yale this season. Quackenbush has played in all four games this season, getting the start in three of them and boasts an 11.10 goals-against average. Janian, meanwhile, has started one game and holds a 12.55 goals-against average.

Leading the Minutewomen on offense are sophomore Jackie Lyons (16 points) and senior Holly Drown (11 points). Both Drown and Lyons are coming off of three-goal performances against No. 13 Dartmouth in a 13-10 win.

Expected in goal for the Minutewomen will be freshman Katie Florence, who has started all nine games this season. Florence, who is coming off a nine-save effort against Dartmouth, will play a vital role for UMass and currently holds a 12.80 goals-against average.

Wednesday’s game will be the first game for the Yale women’s lacrosse program at the newly-renovated Reese Field. However, Venechanos does not expect the fresh arena to play a factor in the upcoming game.

‘We don’t care if we play Yale in a park,’ she said. ‘We don’t care if we play Yale here or up in Boyden grass field. We’re excited to play another team.’

The matchup against the Bulldogs is a continuation of the grueling schedule that the Minutewomen have begun the season with. The schedule, which included women’s lacrosse powerhouses Northwestern and Maryland, has challenged the young team early on. But with two straight wins, the schedule should be a strong proving ground as UMass looks ahead to conference play.

‘In the first two games, we battled, but we were lacking on the execution. We were also playing with a lot of trust in each other,’ Venechanos said. ‘I feel from the past two games, we’ve gained a lot of confidence and looking to bring that confidence into our game against Yale.’

Nick O’Malley can be reached at [email protected].