NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Columbia lacrosse team's 2024 season came to a close on Saturday afternoon against #8 Yale. The Bulldogs came away with an 18-5 victory in New Haven to clinch the outright Ivy League regular season title. 

The Lions finish the season with a 4-11 overall record, with an 0-7 mark in Ivy League play. Despite the conference struggles in a very tough Ivy League, Columbia finished with its best non-conference record since 2017. 

The game began on a high note as Sophie Zachara found the back of the net just 50 seconds in to give Columbia an early 1-0 lead, but the Bulldogs answered with a 5-0 run to gain control. 

Zachara and Kate Cunning would score two of the next three goals for the Lions to cut into Yale's lead, but the Bulldogs held Columbia scoreless the rest of the half. 

Heading into the second half with a 12-3 lead after closing the half on a 6-0 run, the Bulldogs' momentum was halted by a goal from Anna Becker to begin the third quarter. 

The Lions would only score one more goal from that point, and Yale held on for an 18-5 win.

Zachara led Columbia with two goals in the game, while Messner, Becker, and Cunning each added one. Dani Falcone chipped in three assists, four draw controls, two ground balls, and a caused turnover. Emma Neclario racked up a career-high 10 saves. 


NOTES
Falcone finishes her junior year with 99 career points. She will look to cross the 100-point milestone next season. 

Draw control wise, Falcone sits fourth all-time on the program list with 121 in her career. She will need to reach 163 draw controls next season to make it to third all-time. 

Michelle Zhai concludes her rookie season with a team-high 43 points. Her 25 assists are tied for fifth all-time in a single season in program history. 


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