Yale Edges Dartmouth In OT

October 7, 2017

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Aerial Chavarin picked quite a time to score her first goal of the season. Chavarin left-footed a shot into the top corner from 15 yards out with 41 seconds left in the first overtime period to lift Yale to a thrilling 2-1 victory over Dartmouth on an unusually mild and muggy late afternoon at Reese Stadium.

Chavarin led the Bulldogs with nine goals last year in her rookie season but has been working her way back from an injury.

“She’s been really close so I knew it was just a matter of time,” said Yale head coach Rudy Meredith.

The win was the second straight for the Bulldogs (8-3-1, 2-1 Ivy) and keeps them very much in the race for the Ivy title.

Dartmouth (5-7, 0-3 Ivy) certainly didn’t make it easy. The Big Green had a 16-14 edge in shots and had the better of the play at times, especially in the second half.

“Dartmouth is a good team. They’ve been in every game,” Meredith said.

After a scoreless first half, the Bulldogs jumped in front when Michelle Alozie headed in a Chavarin cross at 53:41. It was Alozie’s team-leading seventh goal of the season.

The Big Green, though, got the equalizer less than 10 minutes later. Remy Borinsky sent a free kick into the box that deflected in off of Bonnie Shea, who was part of a pack of players in front of the goal.

“Dartmouth is very good on set pieces so we knew we had to be careful with that,” Meredith said.

The Big Green had 11 corner kicks in the game, but the Bulldogs defended them well.

Yale outshot Dartmouth 3-1 in overtime and the decisive one came from Chavarin when she settled an Alozie feed, took a couple of dribbles and fired her shot, the result of which set off a big celebration on the Yale sideline.

“We kept fighting,” Meredith said. “It says a lot about the character of this team.”

Goalkeeper Alyssa Fagel made five saves to earn the victory.

The Bulldogs are now unbeaten in their last five games with the Big Green.

Yale is back at Reese Stadium next Saturday, hosting Cornell at 2 p.m.