For many Penn teams, there is less than a month to go in the regular season before the Ivy League Championships. And even though some squads — such as sprint football and cross country — were off this weekend, several teams still had important conference contests. Here is how the Quakers fared over the weekend.
Field Hockey
Penn field hockey (6-6, 4-0 Ivy) split its two games this weekend, first defeating Dartmouth (4-6, 1-3) 4-1 at home on Saturday before falling to Villanova (8-5) 3-2 on the road Sunday.
In the first game, the Quakers got on the board quickly, with seniorforward/midfielder Allison Kuzyk scoring the game’s first goal less than five minutes in. From there, Penn kept its foot on the gas nearly all game long, jumping out to a 4-0 lead by the end of the third quarter. Even though the Big Green did get one back in the fourth quarter, Penn’s lead was rarely in jeopardy. Beyond just the score sheet, the Quakers were firmly in control of the contest, outshooting Dartmouth 10-7, including a commanding 10-3 shots on goal advantage.
On Sunday, however, it was Penn that had to play from behind after the Wildcats scored the game’s first three goals. Despite finding themselves down 3-0 in the fourth quarter, the Quakers did not give up, with freshman forward Honor Roberts scoring a pair of goals — the first two of her career — late to bring the final score within one. Penn now has another block of Ivy games ahead, beginning with a trip to Cornell (8-3, 3-1) on Friday.
Men’s Soccer
The Quakers (3-3-3, 1-1-1 Ivy) continued their home unbeaten streak, blanking Cornell (4-3-2, 0-1-2) 1-0 at Penn Park on Saturday night.
After a quiet first half for both teams, Penn turned their offensive attack up a notch in the early second half, and as junior forward Stas Korzeniowski raced towards the Big Red’s goal, he was taken down by a defender and earned an attempt from the spot. Korzeniowski smashed the ball into the bottom right corner of the net, and that was all the Red and Blue needed to secure a victory. Senior goalkeeper Nick Christoffersen also played an integral role in establishing Penn’s stout defense throughout the game, making three saves, while the Penn defense did not allow a shot on goal in the first half for the second game in a row.
Penn will next face Monmouth at home this Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Women’s Soccer
Penn women’s soccer (5-6-2, 0-3-1 Ivy) traveled up north to Providence, R.I. this weekend to take on No. 21 Brown (8-1-2, 4-0). Unfortunately for the Quakers, they ended up dropping a close 2-1 match to the Bears, leaving them winless against Ivy League opponents this season.
Senior goalkeeper Laurence Gladu did her best to fend off a relentless Brown team — which outshot Penn 17-9 — early on, making three saves within the first 30 minutes. However, the Bears finally broke through soon after, on a goal by Ava Seelenfreund.
However, that lead would not stand for long. In the 40th minute, sophomore midfielder Mallory Lucas was able to out-maneuver two Brown defenders on the left wing and passed the ball inside to junior forward Megan Lusher, who fired a shot into goal for the equalizer. The score was level heading into halftime, but in the 51st minute, Brown once again found the back of the net to take a 2-1 lead. While the Quakers had their chances during the remainder of the match, the Bears were able to fend them off to secure the victory.
The Red and Blue will return to Penn Park next to face Dartmouth on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Volleyball
Continuing in Ivy League play, Penn volleyball (2-14, 0-6 Ivy) headed north this weekend to take on Dartmouth and Harvard. Even though both games ended in 3-0 losses for the Quakers, they showed resilience for much of each match. Against the Big Green (6-8, 3-2), the first two sets ended 25-23 before Dartmouth pulled away in the third set. Freshman setter Bella Rittenberg led all players with her 11 kills, and sophomore libero Abigail Reid led both teams with 14 digs.
The next evening in Cambridge, Mass., Harvard (11-3, 4-1) pulled further ahead early, allowing the Quakers only 15 points in the first set. Rittenberg again led the Quakers in kills with nine, and Reid’s 11 digs were once more enough to tie the most by either team. Next weekend, the Quakers return home to the Palestra, as they host Cornell and Columbia on Friday and Saturday evenings, respectively.
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