The Massachusetts women’s soccer team ended its four-game road stint to start the season with a 2-1 loss at Yale Sunday night.
The Minutewomen (1-1-2) and Bulldogs (1-0-1) matched each other’s intensity throughout the game, playing as two very equal teams with a lot of switches in ball possession and explosive plays. UMass struggled to take advantage of the opportunities it had however, which proved costly in the end.
“Wasn’t our best game,” head coach Jason Dowiak said following the loss. “Came out with some good possession … but we didn’t really take advantage of moments where we did break their line and advance the ball to really punish them in the first half.”
After a lot of back-and-forth play to start the game, the Minutewomen gained some momentum in the 28th minute that led to the first goal of the game. UMass forward Ashley Lamond launched a rocket into the back of the net after receiving a long cross that came from the right side of the field sent by midfielder Chandler Pedolzky, giving UMass a 1-0 lead.
“[Lamond] been really good [one on one] … she’s good at finding free space,” Dowiak said. “We just want to keep helping her refine her game and continue to create dangerous moments for us.”
The goal was Lamond’s second of the season which rewarded Pedolzky with her first assist of the year.
Yale came out aggressive to start the second half and was able to get two goals past UMass goalkeeper Bella Mendoza in the span of four minutes, giving Yale a 2-1 lead that it held on to for the remainder of the contest. The first goal for the Bulldogs came from a bullet sent into the net from far out by Logan Jacobs and the second was a toe poke between a UMass defender’s legs right at the goal line by Anita Thorvaldsdottir.
Despite the two highlight-worthy goals scored against her, Mendoza showcased her talents on Sunday night with five saves. One of her more noteworthy saves occurred in the 15th minute, where a ground shot by Yale was blocked by Mendoza’s reflexes where she stuck her left foot out and bounced the ball back into the goalie’s box before she jumped on it and gained possession.
“Unbelievable save … just a great reaction point blank save,” Dowiak said. “She puts us in positions to win games.”
Mendoza and the Minutewomen defense shut down Yale’s offensive efforts in the first half, as the Bulldogs took seven shots in the first half with no goals to show for them.
Although UMass took just one shot in the first 45 minutes, it ended the game with eight, although the rest of the shots mainly occurred in the final 10 minutes of the game. With time winding down, the Minutewomen were playing at full intensity, trying to get a goal past Yale’s keeper to avoid their first loss, but their efforts fell short and the Bulldogs prevailed.
“We really put the pressure on them which I’m so proud of the group for showing that determination … but we needed to have that intensity earlier in the game,” Dowiak said on the team’s final efforts to tie the game.
After four straight road games to begin the season, the Minutewomen finally return to Amherst for their home opener where they will take on Syracuse at Rudd Field. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
“We’re excited to be home,” Dowiak said. “It’s been tough being on the road but we’ve had some really good moments throughout the first four games and hopefully we’re going to bring that energy and excitement home.”
Samantha Sands can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @samantha_sands_.
