Penn Takes 12-11 Ivy Title Game
NEW YORK, N.Y. – The No. 2 ranked Yale Men's Lacrosse Team has lost 3 games this spring, each by one goal, including today's 12-11 decision to Penn in the championship game of the 2019 Ivy League Tournament. The Bulldogs, whose win streak came to an end at 6 games, now wait for tonight to hear who they play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Elis (12-3), who lost the face-off battle for the first time this season, never had a lead in a game that was tied three times. They got a pair of goals from Christian Cropp and Matt Gaudet and 9 saves from Jack Starr against the No. 3 Quakers (11-3), winners of 11 straight.
The good news is we play next week. If we learn from it and get better, it's probably going to be a good thing," said Yale Head Coach Andy Shay, whose squad probably earned a home contest next weekend.
The Bulldogs, aided by Brian Tevlin's 4 ground balls and 2 assists, erased a 4-1 deficit in the second quarter with a 3-goal run over less than 2 minutes. Penn, benefitting from 7 Yale first-half turnovers, answered with its own 3-tally string that fueled the tournament's top seed to an 8-6 halftime lead.
"We did get off the bus a little slow," said Shay, who lost to Penn in triple overtime earlier this year at Franklin Field. "Against a team that good, you dig yourself a hole. That's a great Penn team and they deserve everything they have gotten."
The second seed opened the second half with goals from Cropp and Jack Tigh to draw even at 8-8. The Elis later used tallies from Jackson Morrill and Brendan Rooney to square things at 11-11 before Sean Lulley's goal for the Quakers with 4:52 left in the fourth won it.
BULLDOG BITES
Jackson Morrill, Jack Tigh, Chris Fake and Matt Brandau earned All-Tournament Team honors... The NCAA Tournament selection show is 9 pm tonight on ESPNU… Yale's Class of 2019 equaled the record for wins by a class with its 51st on Friday night. The Class of 2018 also had 51… Matt Brandau, who had a goal today, now has both Yale rookie records for goals and points, while Jackson Morrill is now 3rd in career points behind Ben Reeves and Jon Reese.
contact: Steve Conn, Yale Athletics Communications