Yenne's Hat Trick Sinks Yale, 3-1

Harvard-Yale. Without helmets.

While the women's soccer rivalry isn't as intense the football version, the game did carry special importance for the Crimson (8-2, 3-1 Ivy). Its 3-1 victory over Yale (7-5-1, 1-3), placed it in second place in the Ivy, trailing only undefeated Princeton. With the Crimson traveling to Princeton this Friday, Harvard maintained control of its own fate for an Ivy title.

"This game puts us in the driver's seat," Harvard Coach Tim Wheaton said. "As long as we keep winning our games, the worst that we can do is co-champion."

The scenario proposed by Coach Wheaton certainly seemed probable for the defending Ivy League champs, as it played a methodical, controlling game that rarely allowed the Elis solid chances on goal. And sophomore Joey Yenne provided all of the offense, scoring her second hat trick of the season.

Yenne began to take control of the game in the 35th minute.

She carried a loose ball to the box, undaunted by the three Yale defenders in her path. After a flurry of moves and superior footwork, Yenne planted with her healing left leg and ripped a shot that sailed past Eli goaltender Sarah Peterson, off the crossbar and into the net.

"The goals just kinda' came today," Yenne said.

Harvard cemented its hold on the game in the 51st minute. Freshman midfielder Caitlin Fisher lofted a pass to Yenne, waiting just inside the box. She settled the pass and fired her second goal into the net for a 2-0 Harvard lead.

At this point, the Elis began to get desperate, and play got more physical. Harvard handled the increased contact well, parlaying a Yale foul into another score just three minutes after Yenne's previous goal.

As sophomore midfielder Orly Ripmaster carried up the right sideline, a Yale defender collided with her, eliciting a whistle from the referee. After the quick start, Ripmaster continued up the sideline and crossed the ball over the stagnant Eli defense masterfully guiding it onto Yenne's head.

The Crimson's third goal finished Yenne's hat trick and sealed the game.

"Yenne's a machine," Wheaton said. "She's got the ability to get a ball that doesn't mean anything and score great goals".

The machine was only slowed up when she came out of the game in the 56th minute to enjoy a well-deserved rest.

Harvard's only blemish on the day came in the 73rd minute on strike by Eli freshman Katherine Sims beating freshman goalie Mollie Durkin, who replaced starter Cheryl Gunther after a clean 65 minutes.

It took a little while for the Crimson to find its groove. The first 10 minutes of the game were paced by an inefficient Bulldog attack. Yale's sloppy play near the Crimson net yielded only frustration for the visitors, allowing Yenne to get going. Harvard generate numerous scoring chances, but couldn't put one past Peterson until Yenne took control.

While beating Yale is always welcome, the women's squad understood that this game was about more than pride. Princeton defeated Brown, 1-0 on Friday in a battle of the only remaining unbeaten Ivy teams. The Bears had already defeated the Crimson, 2-0, this year so a Brown victory would have left Harvard helpless in claiming at least a share of first place.

"We are excited to travel to Princeton. We're really on top of our game now, pumped about our six game streak, and happy to be in control of our destiny," Yenne said.

For Harvard, The Game has yet to be played, but its shown that it is ready.