If there were any lingering doubts about the Penn field hockey team's attack, they were surely dismissed this weekend.
The Quakers (2-4, 0-1 Ivy League) unloaded a season-high 26 shots on city rival St. Joseph's (4-4 after Sunday's game) en route to a convincing 4-0 victory Friday night at Franklin Field. Wednesday night, the Quakers topped West Chester, 5-0.
Senior forward Kylee Jakobowski registered a hat trick for the Red and Blue in the win, tying her with junior Jackie Lange for the team lead in goals with five.
The Quakers took immediate control against the Hawks, picking up right where they had left off in Wednesday's rout. Their suffocating defense constantly pushed the ball upfield, creating numerous offensive chances for the forwards and midfielders. The Quakers recorded 11 first half shots.
Only the brave play of Hawks' goalie Courtney Huff kept the game scoreless through halftime.
Penn coach Val Cloud credited the improved cohesion of the three lines for the Quakers' offensive spark.
"The forwards, the middies, and the backs -- they've all gelled," Cloud said. "The last three games have really been a full team effort. They're really making us fun to watch, especially when we score goals."
The Quakers' offensive persistence finally paid off at the 26:21 mark of the second half, when sophomore Liz Lorelli dumped a loose ball into the back of the cage for her second goal of the season.
Jakobowski doubled the lead just minutes after, putting home a Lea Salese pass and securing the momentum.
The co-captain added her second and third tallies in the game's final four minutes, sealing her team's second shutout victory in as many games.
The Hawks' only serious threat of the half came with 16 minutes remaining, when Penn sweeper Emily Farnesi intercepted a Shannon Scott shot that had otherwise beaten freshman goalie Amanda Jacobs.
All told, the Quakers outshot the Hawks, 26-5. Forward Lange fired a game-high eight shots on the overwhelmed Huff, while Jakobowski attempted seven.
Though Jakobowski dominated the scoring column on Friday, Cloud emphasized the importance of team offense in her team's apparent turnaround.
"When everybody plays together, you create so many good opportunities," Cloud said. "Not just shots, but good opportunities. We're capitalizing, and a lot of people are contributing to that. It's never just one person to stop -- you don't know where it's going to come from."
"We're going to be pretty dangerous if we can continue playing like this. From a coach's standpoint, I'm enjoying the results of the hard work on their part."
The Quakers will try to make it three in a row on Wednesday night when they travel to Villanova.
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