TD Ierlan has a new home and Yale has even more reason to believe it can repeat as NCAA men’s lacrosse champion.
Ierlan, the record-setting faceoff specialist who on June 6 received a full release to transfer from Albany, is transferring to Yale, he confirmed Thursday when reached by the Daily Messenger.
Ty Xanders of Inside Lacrosse first reported Ierlan’s decision on Twitter. Ierlan chose Yale over Cornell, where his brother, Chayse, will be a freshman goalie for the Big Red next year.
It's official. TD Ierlan, who won 79% at the X for Albany in 2018, has been accepted & will suit up for @YaleLacrosse in his final two years of eligibility.
— Ty Xanders (@tyxanders) June 21, 2018
A few things to add:
— Ty Xanders (@tyxanders) June 21, 2018
1) Yale also brings in UA All-American face-off man Joe Neuman. This makes them both better.
2) First transfer for the program since the '90s.
3) The backlash towards Ierlan on social media is too much. If you can get accepted by "The Big Three", you go.
A two-time All-American out of Victor, N.Y., Ierlan set NCAA single-season records for faceoff wins (359), winning percentage (79.1) and ground balls (254) while propelling the Great Danes to their first final four. He originally received a conditional release, which meant he could not transfer to any schools on Albany’s schedule, but eventually was granted the full release. The Great Danes host Yale at Casey Stadium next season.
“I’m not really sure when I realized it but I did get to a point where I realized I needed a change,” he told the Daily Messenger. “Every time I stepped on the field for Albany, I gave 110 percent. There isn’t a time where I can say I could have given more, and I’ll stand by that.”
Ierlan added it was a difficult choice between Cornell and Yale. He studied economics at Albany and will continue to pursue a degree in business or economics at Yale, he told the Daily Messenger.
“Once I stepped on the campus at Yale, it just felt like the right fit for me,” he said.
The Bulldogs defeated Albany twice en route to their first NCAA championship, including a 20-11 win in the NCAA semifinals at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Conor Mackie, an All-American faceoff specialist for Yale, graduated in May.