FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Kylie Stannard’s first game as head coach of the Yale men’s soccer team featured a bit of everything.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, it ended in heartbreaking fashion. Murray Cockburn’s goal on a penalty kick with 6:02 left in the second overtime period lifted Sacred Heart to a 2-1 victory at Campus Field. The Pioneers were awarded the kick after Shaquille Saunchez was fouled in the box.

Cockburn’s game-winner came on SHU’s second penalty kick of the game. Yale goalkeeper Ryan Simpson denied Giancarlo Maurello at the 9:40 mark of the first half.

The Bulldogs also were a bit unlucky on Sacred Heart’s first goal, which came when a Yale defender inadvertently chested a Pioneer cross into his own goal midway through the second half.

Despite the difficult ending, Stannard, the 5k Corral Head Coach of the Bulldogs, was pleased with his team’s performance.

“I'm extremely happy with the effort from the guys tonight,” he said. “We competed very hard and felt like we deserved better, but soccer has a very, very small margin of error.  I don't think I've been involved with a game where there were two penalties called against us and a very unlucky own goal. Ryan Simpson had a fantastic performance tonight and saved the first penalty, which was just.  We have talked about controlling what we can control and that's what we need to focus on moving forward.”

After a scoreless first half, Yale jumped on the board first at 57:57 when freshman Kyle Kenagy headed in a nifty cross from Dylan Onderdonk-Snow, who was also playing his first career game.

Freshman Nicky Downs had a couple of chances in the overtimes for the Bulldogs, firing a shot wide in the first extra session and then having a shot saved by Sacred Heart goalkeeper Tucker Hackett early in the second OT.

Simpson finished with eight saves in the Yale goal.

Kenagy and Onderdonk-Snow were the two newcomers to start for the Bulldogs. Downs and fellow freshmen Lucas Kirby and Cameron Riach saw action off the bench.

Sacred Heart (1-1-1) was playing its third game of the season.

“For our first game of the season, there were a ton of positives, and I felt our fitness level was on par, or better, than a team that had already played two games,” Stannard said.

“There are a lot of lessons we will take from tonight and make sure that we improve in those areas.  We have a quick turnaround for the game on Sunday and look forward to playing a very determined team in Fairleigh Dickinson.”

The Bulldogs meet the Knights Sunday in New Jersey at 7 p.m.

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