The Yale Bulldogs women's soccer program represents Yale University in all NCAA Division I women's College soccer competitions. Founded in 1977,[3] the Bulldogs compete in the Ivy League.
The Bulldogs are coached by Sarah Martinez, who was hired as the program's head coach on December 3, 2019.[3] Yale plays their home matches at Reese Stadium, on the campus of Yale University.
History [4]
Yale's first varsity season started in 1977, led by Roberto Taylor. Their first win came on October 5th with a 5-1 victory over Vassar. The first home goal was scored by Cynthia Hayden in a 2-2 overtime tie with Tufts on October 8th.
In 1979, Elizabeth Traver set a school record with 18 goals while earning All-Ivy recognition. Traver ended her career with 39 goals and 99 points, both of which remain career records.
During the 1980 season, the Bulldogs achieved a 17-0 victory over Rhode Island College, setting an Ivy League record for the most goals in a game.
In the 1991 season, Laura Valade became Yale's first Ivy League Player of the Year.
In 1992, Yale earned its first Ivy League Championship, tying Brown with a 6-1 record. The Bulldogs finished 13-5 under captain Amy Predmore, and Jen Teti was named Ivy League Player of the Year.
The 2002 squad finished 12-5-2 and earned its first NCAA Tournament appearance. They won their first game on penalty kicks against Villanova before falling to Nebraska 1-0 in the second round.
The 2004 squad finished 13-5 and made their second NCAA Tournament appearance but lost in the first round to Villanova, 2-1.
In 2005, Yale reclaimed the Ivy League title with a 5-1-1 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. They won their first-round game 3-0 against Central Connecticut and upset No. 3 Duke 2-1 in the second round, with Crysi Howser scoring a goal with one second remaining. In the Sweet 16, they fell to the defending national champions, Notre Dame, 5-2.
Rudy Meredith College Admissions Bribery Scandal
Former coach Rudy Meredith was indicted as part of the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal, for allegedly accepting bribes totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars to facilitate the admission of students to Yale as soccer players recruited to the Yale women's soccer team, despite their never having played competitive soccer.[5] He pled guilty.[5] Because he is cooperating with prosecutors, he may avoid the maximum penalties of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fines each of the charges carry, but he will have to forfeit the $850,000 in bribes he took in the scheme.[5]
Rivalries
Harvard and Yale have met 47 times and Yale has a record of 9-36-2. Yale's last win was in 2017.
Players
Current roster
- As of 8 Mar 2025[6]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Coaches
Coaching history
Yale University has had seven coaches in their program's existence.[7]
- As of March 4th, 2025
# | Years | Coach | W | L | T |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1977 | Roberto Taylor | 5 | 5 | 2 |
2 | 1978-1980 | Chico Chacurian | 17 | 16 | 7 |
3 | 1981-1984 | Margaret Dunlop | 20 | 34 | 2 |
4 | 1985-1994 | Felice Duffey | 60 | 89 | 3 |
5 | 1995-2018 | Rudy Meredith | 224 | 157 | 35 |
6 | 2019 | Brendan Faherty | 11 | 4 | 1 |
7 | 2020–Present | Sarah Martinez | 23 | 32 | 9 |
Honors
Conference championships
Title No. |
Season | Organizer | Class | Coach |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
1992 | Ivy League | Regular season | Felice Duffy |
2 |
2005 | Ivy League | Regular season | Rudy Meredith |
All Americans
Year | Player | Team |
---|---|---|
1992 |
Jen Teti | 2nd Team |
1993 |
Jen Teti | 2nd Team |
2005 |
Christina Huang | 2nd Team |
2005 |
Aerial Chavarin | 2nd Team |
Ivy League Player of the Year
Year | Player |
---|---|
1991 |
Laura Valade |
1992 |
Jen Teti |
1993 |
Jen Teti |
2009 |
Becky Brown |
Ivy League Awards
Year | Player | Award |
---|---|---|
1996 |
Lorelei Wall | Rookie of the Year |
2005 |
Crysti Howser | Rookie of the Year |
2009 |
Kristen Forster | Rookie of the Year |
2011 |
Melissa Gavin | Rookie of the Year |
2014 |
Elise Wilcox | Defensive Player of the Year |
2016 |
Aerial Chavarin | Rookie of the Year |
2017 |
Michelle Alozie | Offensive Player of the Year |
2019 |
Aerial Chavarin | Defensive Player of the Year |
Seasons
NCAA Tournament history
Yale has appeared in three NCAA Tournaments. Their most recent appearance came in 2005.
Year | Record | Region | Round | Opponent | Results |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | 1 | First round | Villanova | 0-0 (Yale wins PK) | |
Second round | Nebraska | 0-1 | |||
2004 | 1 | First round | Villanova | 0-1 | |
2005 | 1 | First round | Central Connecticut | 3-0 | |
Second round | Duke | 2-1 | |||
Quarterfinals | Notre Dame | 2-5 |
Professional Players
Years | Player | Position |
---|---|---|
1997-2000 |
Ciara McCormack | DF |
2001-2005 |
Eleni Benson | DF |
2011-2014 |
Meredith Speck | MF |
2014-2017 |
Carlin Hudson | DF |
2015-2018 | Michelle Alozie | FW |
2016-2019 |
Aerial Chavarin | MF |
2017-2021 |
Reina Bonta | DF |
2019-2022 |
Giovanna Dionicio | DF |
References
- ^ Yale women's soccer history and records at Yale Bulldogs
- ^ "Yale Athletics Brand Guidelines" (PDF). December 1, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Sarah Martinez's bio
- ^ "Yale Women's Soccer Timeline". Yale Bulldogs. Yale. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
- ^ a b c "Ex-Yale soccer coach pleads guilty in admissions scandal". March 29, 2019.
- ^ 2024 women's soccer roster on Yalebulldogs.com
- ^ "Yale Women's Soccer Year-by-Year Results" (PDF). Yale University Athletics. July 9, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ "Yale Post Season Honors" (PDF). Yale Bulldogs. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
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