Penn field hockey falls to Brown to finish season

Penn field hockey was left swinging for the fences after a 4-3 loss to Brown on Saturday.

The regular season finale was a must win for both teams who were looking to claim a spot in the playoffs. Both teams were well aware of their need for a win, which was evident by how the level of play escalated throughout the game. Ultimately, the Bears (9-7, 4-3 Ivy) clinched their spot in the playoffs, leaving the Quakers (4-12, 2-5) with another one-goal loss to end the season.

Brown came ready to play in the first quarter, keeping the ball upfield and eventually converting this intensity into an early attempt on goal within the first two minutes. Luckily for the Quakers, sophomore goalkeeper Ruby de Frees was able to match the Bears’ intensity with a beautiful dive to save the attempt.

However, the rest of Penn’s defense had a slower start, ultimately allowing the Bears to sneak in an early goal off a penalty corner in the third minute. Brown rose 1-0.

Brown’s early signs of dominance seemed to kick the Quakers into high gear. Following the Bears’ goal, the Red and Blue ran the ball upfield and found their first goal off of junior forward Livia Loozen's stick. Loozen’s sixth goal of the season came just 30 seconds after Brown’s, leveling the score at 1-1.

Neither team stayed down for long in the first quarter, with the Bears finding the back of the net once again six minutes in. However, after video review the goal was denied since the score came after a foul that was committed in the process of the shot conversion. 

The score remained tied for the rest of the first half and play seemed to be pretty back and forth with both teams playing keep away — but the Quakers seemed to really find their footing after the Bears were dealt a questionable yellow card. 

With Brown midfielder Lucy Adams out of play, the Quakers built up some momentum. The team was able to set up for freshman Riley Thomson, who cleanly blasted a shot into the net. Her first collegiate goal had some heat on it as it flew by Brown’s defense and goalie.

The first half ended 2-1 with the Red and Blue seeming to dominate Brown. 

The Bears upped the intensity once again in the third quarter with multiple early attempts that went wide. Brown finally found the back of the net off an impressive fake out that led to a clean drive into the net.

Now tied at 2-2, Penn ended the third quarter with a series of corners. However, no shots on goal were generated.

The lack of production there came back to bite the Quakers as the fourth quarter saw Brown continuing to raise their level. The Bears went up 4-2, playing a connective game that allowed them to find the back of the net twice. Both times, de Frees went down, allowing the Bears essentially two free shots on goal.

The Quakers were not able to generate any attempts throughout the fourth quarter, which was a stark contrast to their dominant first half. The last minute saw the Red and Blue finally get on the scoreboard again with a penalty stroke by junior defender/midfielder Amy Lanouette. Her shot raised the Quakers to 4-3.

Unfortunately, the clock ran out before Penn could act on this opportunity to force an overtime. So, while Brown celebrated securing its spot in the Ivy League tournament, the Quakers saw their season come to a close.

This year’s roster was fairly young and will be looking to build off of their 4-12 record next fall.