M. Lax: Back from the brink

Just twenty-seven seconds. The Quakers held the lead during Friday's lacrosse game against Dartmouth for less than half a minute.

It was the right 27 seconds to do so.

In a spectacular and emotional comeback, Penn managed to overcome a 7-3 deficit with five unanswered fourth-quarter goals, upending the Big Green 8-7.

After having been outplayed all game by Dartmouth (4-4, 1-1 Ivy), things finally came together for the Quakers (5-4, 2-2) in the final few minutes. Capping off a fast-paced rally which saw four Penn goals in the final six minutes, sophomore attacker Craig Andrzejewski's decisive tally with under thirty seconds left completed the unlikely victory and sent the Quakers storming towards the center of the field to celebrate.

It was a moment of relief for a team that desperately needed one, coming off a 20-5 loss to Cornell the previous week.

"It's definitely a huge win. We needed this one," Andrzejewski said.

For the first three quarters of the game, the Quakers had been unable to get anything done on either end of the field.

"We didn't handle the ball very well," said senior midfielder David Cornbrooks. "We didn't throw the ball with confidence."

Added Andrzejewski: "We basically couldn't play any worse than in the first half."

The Quakers spent no more than a few seconds on Dartmouth's half of the field in the opening frame and were outshot 11-2. Their first serious offensive possession didn't occur until the eighth minute.

While things stabilized in the second quarter and the Quakers narrowed the gap to one, Penn once again could not get anything going in the third, allowing four goals on eight shots.

So when Andrzejewski netted an unassisted goal five minutes into the fourth, it was still difficult to believe that a comeback was on the horizon.

But the offense found its stride, and the defense made sure that Penn was rarely without the ball, allowing three shots and making seven clears in the quarter.

"We had some guys come up with some gigantic plays down the end," head coach Brian Voelker said.

As the time on the clock decreased, the fans - and the Quakers - sensed that something special might be happening.

"I knew that if we got the ball and settled down on offense, we definitely could make a comeback," Andrzejewski said.

But even Voelker seemed to be shocked that they actually did.

"We played so bad for three and a half quarters, I honestly just didn't think we were capable of doing it."

Andrzejewski ended the game with one assist and three goals, including the tying and winning ones. Cornbrooks had two goals and an assist, and three other Penn players netted goals.

Cornbrooks credits the team's inspiration for the win to one of Franklin Field's security guards, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

"We dedicated this game to Ms. Kym, and we couldn't come out of here with a loss, just for her."

The comeback proves that if there's one area in which the Quakers are not lacking, it's heart, a sentiment which Voelker spoke about.

"No matter how we've played, and the mistakes we've made, we always give it an effort, always played hard, and we did it."

The benefits of this victory may reverberate for a while if Penn can win out and keep its slim title hopes alive.

But no matter how the rest of this year goes, this will be a win the players will - and should - remember for a long time.

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