Yale will take a whole bunch of positive momentum into next Saturday’s Ivy League opener at Harvard. Paolo Carroll scored at 4:34 and the Bulldogs’ defense shutdown Fairleigh Dickinson the rest of the way in an impressive 1-0 victory in New Jersey.

Yale (4-2-1) has won three in a row and is unbeaten in its last four games. Included in the stretch is a 2-2 tie with then No. 4 Michigan State, a four-goal outburst in a victory at Bryant and a pair of shutouts. It’s also come in a busy stretch as the four games have come in the last 10 days, including Friday’s 2-1 hard-fought win over George Mason.

“They hadn’t played since Tuesday, so I can’t give our players enough credit for grinding this out,” said Kylie Stannard, The 5K Corral Head Coach of the Bulldogs. “It wasn’t necessarily pretty but that’s college soccer at times. It’s extremely hard to win games at this level, and for them to perform like they have in these four games is a huge testament to their character and the leadership from the upperclassmen.”

The Bulldogs will now enjoy five days off before the showdown with the Crimson.

Carroll’s early goal came when he collected a ball from Aldo Quevedo and fired a low strike into the far side of the goal. It was the third straight game Carroll has scored, and he now leads the team with four goals and 11 points.

From there, Yale’s defense limited FDU’s attack. The Knights only managed five shots in the game.

Goalkeepers Andrew Bortay and Tom Wallenstein combined to make four saves in posting the Bulldogs’ third shutout of the season.

“This was a really gritty performance today against a good FDU team and in a tough place to play,” Stannard said. “They’ve had our number in the past for a reason so it’s extra nice to get this win. This was another all-around team effort with so many guys coming in to provide quality minutes to help us manage our energy.”

The three-game winning streak is the longest for Yale since the 2011 season.

Next Saturday’s game at Harvard is a 4 p.m. kickoff.

“It’s great to build some momentum going into the Ivies, but we know it’s a new season now and we will make sure to get some rest the next couple of days and then focus on Harvard,” Stannard said.

Report filed by Tim Bennett (timothy.bennett@yale.edu), Yale Sports Publicity

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