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Yale lacrosse is in the midst of one of the most successful runs in program history, with three straight Ivy League tournament championships and three consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament. The resume is strong — the Bulldogs are one of the top men’s lacrosse programs in Division I.

However, Yale has found a ceiling that it has not been able to break. In each of the past three seasons, the Bulldogs have fallen in the first round of the NCAA tournament. First in 2015, Yale fell to Maryland, then Navy in 2016 and second-seeded Syracuse last season.

As the Bulldogs continued with their fall season, there was no shortage of motivation.

“With the way last year ended, there's still a bitter taste in our mouths,” sophomore Jackson Morrill said. “To get back on the field and go against someone will be nice. … It will really inspire some competitive fire in us at this point, and we can use it.”

Yale coach Andy Shay and his team are winding down the fall season, with scrimmages against Team Israel, Providence and Colgate behind it. Shay said he’s simply focused on getting his players up to speed again.

That might not be a problem, with a core that remains mostly intact. The Bulldogs return two-time Tewaaraton finalist Ben Reeves, as well as Morrill and fellow sophomore Matt Gaudet on the offense. On defense, Aidan Hynes and Jerry O’Connor return to form a solid back line.

Reeves, who led the team with 79 points in 2017, was named a captain for the upcoming season.

“As a player, he’s been a first team All-American for two years, so it would be great if he can do it again,” Shay said of Reeves. “His focus now is leadership and making sure he helps leave Yale lacrosse a little better than when he showed up.  If he can just add another layer to his game, supporting his teammates and challenging his teammates, then that would really cement his legacy as a really positive force in Yale lacrosse history.”

Luckily for Reeves, he’s had a whole year to work with the talent around him. Morrill and Gaudet entered last fall as freshmen learning the ropes of the college game, but each is much more experienced and prepared this time around. The duo combined for 52 goals and 24 assists to help a Yale offense that featured just two seniors among its top 10 scorers last season.

This year, Morrill is hoping that potential can turn into results.

“It’s a completely different world,” Morrill said. “Lacrosse-wise, it’s been a huge difference for me, especially coming off a year where I started all the games, I have a responsibility to be a leader. It’s something I like a lot, and losing [2017 senior] Eric Scott, who was a huge voice for our offense ... I really have to step up.”

Morrill said Reeves took the young attackmen under his wing last season, teaching them how to conduct themselves in a successful program like Yale. Shay said the Morrill is ready to take another step forward on his offense.

“For [Jackson], the weight room was important that he make some strides there and he’s done it,” Shay said. “I’m excited to see what comes of it. He works really well with those other guys. He’s got a great relationship with Ben and Matt Gaudet and whoever else we throw out at attack.”

It’s only fall, but the expectations surrounding this Yale team are high entering 2018. With Reeves coming back, along with an improved sophomore class and a 2018 recruiting class that ranked No. 12 in the nation according to Inside Lacrosse, the Bulldogs may well be favored to make it a four-peat.

ABOUT YALE

  • Coach: Andy Shay

  • Last Seen: Losing in the first round of the NCAA tournament to second-seeded Syracuse. The Bulldogs finished the regular season 10-6 and won the Ivy League tournament.

  • Key Returners: Ben Reeves (42G, 37A), Jackson Morrill (20G, 19A), Matt Gaudet (32G, 5A), Conor Mackie (246-408 FO), G Phil Huffard, Aidan Hynes (18 CT)

  • Team Stats: 12.94 goals per game (6th in NCAA DI), 10.31 goals allowed per game (31st), 60.5 faceoff percentage (6th), 12.5 turnovers per game

  • Last Nike/US Lacrosse Ranking: No. 15

  • Conference Snapshot: Yale comes into the fall as the reigning Ivy League regular season and conference tournament champions. Led by two-time Tewaaraton finalist Ben Reeves, the Bulldogs should be right back in the mix come 2018. With a young core ready to help replace the production left by seniors like attackman Eric Scott and LSM Brian Pratt, Yale might be considered favorites for next season.

OFFSEASON HOT TOPICS

The NCAA men’s lacrosse rules committee is allowing teams to experiment with a shot clock this fall. The committee is also discussing several other aspects of the game, including whether to allow attackmen to leave their feet to score around the crease and whether to change the size of the substitution box. Shay gives his feedback on these three hot topics in the men's game, as well as the new recruiting realities since the landmark legislation passed, which prohibits college lacrosse coaches from communicating with prospective student-athletes until Sept. 1 of their junior year of high school.

  • 60-Second Shot Clock: “It’s great. We were excited to see it implemented. We did the 60-second touch on the restraining box, but some people criticized that one, saying teams will pull out of fastbreaks because they wanted to sub first. We didn’t see that. We try to play as loose and free flowing as possible. The lacrosse that we watched was really fun to watch. I hope it makes it into the rule book somehow.”

  • The Dive: “It would be a great idea [to bring it back]. The idea of lining a crease within the crease has been brought up and that’s something, John Svec out of Siena first thought of it. If you line a crease within the crease, you can still protect the goalie and the dive can happen. Hopefully that’s something we see in the game sooner than later.”

  • New Recruiting Realities: “[The recruiting legislation] doesn’t change what we do at all. For us, we try and go as slow as possible. We’ve taken some guys early but that’s only been virtue of other teams pressing those guys. We haven’t worried about it too much. At this point, it’s business as usual for us."

SOCIAL SNAPSHOT

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High Point lacrosse lending a hand to those in need after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in Houston. 

Who says you can't get pumped up for fall ball? Joe Breschi and his Tar Heels were ready to go last weekend against Ohio State.