Penn women's lacrosse played Brown at Franklin Field on Apr. 20.
Credit: Abhiram JuvvadiA day after Metro Boomin electrified Penn with his Spring Fling performance, No. 14 Penn women’s lacrosse brought the same energy to Franklin Field as the team recognized its eight graduating seniors for their contributions to the program.
The matchup against Brown was one with high stakes, as a win over the Ancient Eight foe would secure Penn a spot in the end-of-season Ivy League Tournament. The Quakers did so in a high-scoring 19-13 win.
“I think [the team] played great,” coach Karin Corbett said. “This was Senior Day for a senior class that has done a lot for the program, so I’m really happy that we could get the win for them.”
Coming off a major upset against No. 5 Loyola Maryland, the first quarter was one to forget for Penn (11-3, 4-2 Ivy). Brown (9-5, 2-4 Ivy) started the game off hot, netting the first two goals of the competition, with the first coming after just 17 seconds of play. Senior attacker Niki Miles and junior attacker Keeley Block did their part in getting the Quakers going offensively, but it wasn’t enough, as the Red and Blue closed the opening frame of play down 5-4 after Brown scored with less than eight seconds to go.
A 3-0 run to start the second quarter with goals from junior midfielder Anna Brandt, Miles, and senior attacker Julia Chai gave the Quakers a lead that they never relinquished. Despite starting the game down 2-0, the Red and Blue were able to head into halftime break with a hard-fought 10-8 lead. Although the Bears would come within one score several more times throughout the rest of the game, the Red and Blue were able to pull away each time, leading by as much as six goals down the stretch.
Senior goaltender Kelly Van Hoesen had several well-timed saves against Brown on free position shot attempts that stalled much of Brown’s momentum coming out of the half, lending credibility to her current ranking of third in the nation when it comes to goals against. Van Hoesen ended the game with seven saves.
While the defense locked down in the second half, including a fourth quarter that saw the Bears scoring just one point, the offense also exploded. Miles finished the day with a game high five goals off of just six shots. Junior attacker Erika Chung, who has led the team in assists and currently sits 25th in the nation with assists per game, added a game-leading eight to her total tally against the Bears. Chung’s eight sets a new program record for the most number of assists in a single game.
“It just means so much and it just speaks volumes to the chemistry and how well we all work for each other,” Chung said. “I wouldn’t have all those assists if my teammates couldn’t clear the space well and finish on those cuts. So it just means a lot to me.”
The matchup was the final home game for the Quakers this year. As such, the team recognized senior attackers Julia Chai and Lexi Edmonds, as well as senior midfielders Aly Feeley, Maria Themelis, and Kaitlyn Cumiskey, and senior defenders Sophie Davis, Vanessa Ewing, and Morgan Smith for their contributions over the past four years to the program.
The graduating seniors made their influence on the game known. After entering the game having scored just two goals for the Red and Blue, Edmonds more than doubled that count, finishing the day with three goals for her first career hat trick. Chai notched a goal of her own while Cumiskey and Davis both registered two caused turnovers apiece. Feeley tallied three draw controls in addition to a caused turnover and two ground balls.
“I love my team so much,” Edmonds said. “It’s just so great to be out here with eight of my best friends and celebrating our four years here.”
The win also secures the Quakers a spot in the Ivy League tournament. As the reigning champions of the tournament, Penn will be hungry to prove that last year’s run was not just a fluke. Furthermore, the team has its sights set on making a deep post-season push at the NCAA tournament. To get there, though, Penn women’s lacrosse will likely have to handle its business against the two teams that it lost to in conference play previously this season: Yale and Princeton.
“We always want to get in the tournament,” Corbett said. “We want to try to win the tournament get that automatic bid, and make the NCAA tournament.”
Penn women’s lacrosse will close out its regular season schedule with one final conference game against Dartmouth in Hanover, NH on April 27 at 12 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
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