Lucky Sticks and Irish Tricks: Penn men's lacrosse takes down Brown for its first Ivy League win of the season

To cap off St. Patrick's weekend, the luck of the Irish was on Penn’s side. 

After securing a win against Villanova (4-3) and a tough loss against UNC (6-2), Penn men's lacrosse was ready to face off against Brown for the team's first Ivy League game of the season. 

The Quakers started off the first quarter hot, with a goal from junior attacker Luke DiNola coming after just 16 seconds into the game. The defense remained strong, as Brown whipped shots to goal, but senior goalkeeper Emmett Carroll shut them out. At the end of the period, junior attacker Ben Smith scored his 13th goal of the season, giving the Red and Blue a 2-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. 

The Quakers were feeling ready going into the second quarter, but Brown scored immediately, bypassing Penn’s defense. Brown attempted to score again, but it was called back by the referees. Penn’s attackers played aggressively. The defense remained fortified and mobile as Brown passed the ball around, but it was not enough as Brown scored for the second time in the quarter. 

Penn patiently set up its attackers, waiting for the right moment to strike, and senior attacker Robert Schain scored the third goal of the game. Carroll dominated in the cage, refusing to let in any of the shots from the Bears. Senior midfielder James Shipley tried to break through the Brown defense but was unable to do so. With less than a minute of play left in the second period, the Quakers were able to narrowly score, banking the shot in off the bar and giving the team a 3-2 lead heading into the half-time break. 

After a close first half, Brown came out of the gate strong, scoring three minutes into the third quarter to tie the game up. But nothing could come in the way of the Quakers, as they were unstoppable in the second half. They put up two goals within four minutes of Brown's goal, giving them a comfortable lead of three goals. With turnover after turnover, the Quakers beat out Brown and scored their fourth and fifth goals of the period off the sticks of junior attacker Tynan Walsh and senior attacker Cam Rubin. Rubin finished the period with a hat trick to give Penn a dominating 9-4 lead. 

Despite the lead, the Quakers fought until the very last minute. After trading goal for goal with Brown, the Red and Blue was still able to pull through and finish strong. Junior midfielder Casey Mulligan scored the 11th and final goal of the game, causing the whole team to celebrate and cheer earnestly on the sidelines. 

Penn dominated the field, with much of the credit going to the defense. 

“I’m lucky to play behind the best defense in the country,” Carroll recalls, maintaining his confidence throughout the game. With an average save percentage of 0.607, the standout goaltender's efforts greatly helped the Quakers secure the win. 

The win sets the Red and Blue up well as the team opens up conference play with a win. The team is 1-0 in the Ivy League and is excited to establish itself as one of the more dangerous teams in the conference moving forward.

“It’s a good feeling, it’s a new season, and we’re just focused on one game at a time,” senior defender Brendan Lavelle said. 

Penn men's lacrosse will take the field again to face off against cross-city rivals St. Joseph’s on March 19 at 5 p.m. in Franklin Field. The game will also be broadcast on ESPN+.