The UConn women’s lacrosse team returns to Storrs on Wednesday, March 12 to take on No. 9 ranked Yale; their toughest opponent this season. The Huskies come into this matchup ranked at No. 25, per Inside Lacrosse, while the IWLCA has the team sitting at No. 24.
Looking at the past history, the two teams faced off four times, dating back to 2019. Both programs have won two matches apiece, with Yale most recently breaking the Huskies’ two-game win streak in 2024. Dominant defense is what led to the Bulldogs’ 17-6 victory, with 20 ground balls, eight turnovers, 10 caused turnovers and 18 draw controls. In addition, Connecticut struggled to contain players like Jenna Collignon, Karina Herrera and Fallon Vaughn, who combined for 12 goals. From 2024 to 2025, nothing changed as all three performers stayed with Yale. Despite the team’s impressive showing, none of that matters as the 2024 season does not write this year’s campaign.
Deep diving into UConn’s roster, watching out for Rayea Davis is a must. Regardless of turning over 16 balls, the redshirt junior leads the Huskies with 24 goals on 53 attempts. To add on, after sniping in five against Albany over the weekend, momentum should carry into Wednesday’s clash for the attacker. In addition, standing beside Davis, Eliza Bowman helps the offense enhance their leads. Bowman’s participation increased as she scored 28 netters in 2024 and already knocked in 22 this year, the second highest for the program.
Turning to the defense, taking possession of the draw needs to happen quickly and Riley Daly knows how to do that. The two-time Defensive Player of the Week controlled 41 draws within seven contests. Beside Daly, Abby Beran seized 29 balls of her own. In addition, the defending duo combined for 40 caused turnovers. However, a challenging task is knocking the rock out, as Yale bobbles the ball a little more than four times per match. Furthermore, Connecticut needs to keep botched plays and fouling to a minimum as past opponents like Harvard capitalized on those opportunities.
Flipping to the Bulldogs, taking Collignon, Vaughn and Sky Carrasquillo out of the equation will help the Huskies immensely. So far, the top three players combine for 48 netters out of 94. In addition, the two-way players controlled 67 out of 97 of the team’s draws.
Connecticut looks to extend their two-game win streak while Yale wants to stay undefeated. Husky fans can watch this matchup at 1 p.m. on UConn+ or at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium.