Senior midfielder Anna Brandt rushes down the field against Harvard in a March 5, 2023 game.
Credit: Anna VazhaeparambilIn the battle between brotherly love and sisterly connections, No. 14 Penn women’s lacrosse ultimately could not keep up with No. 24 Harvard, falling 10-8.
“Credit to Harvard. They wanted to win,” coach Karin Brower Corbett said. “They had prepared well, and we were slow. And we just weren’t following the game plan well.”
Harvard attacker Caroline Mullahy entered the game with 127 career assists, tied with former Penn attacker Nina Corcoran for the Ivy League record. Mullahy needed just 37 seconds to claim the record outright, finding Harvard midfielder Charlotte Hodgson at the stop of the crease to give the home team the early lead.
“[Mullahy]’s a very good player,” Corbett said. “We were playing a zone, and she was able to find several feeds on the inside.”
Also on the Crimson roster is Mullahy’s younger sister, Harvard midfielder Grace Mullahy. The connection between the two sisters had been apparent all season. Entering the game, Caroline Mullahy assisted approximately half of Grace Mullahy’s goals this year. In the matchup against the Quakers (6-4, 2-1 Ivy), both were incredibly active. One of the two was involved in all four of the goals for Harvard (7-4, 2-2) in the first quarter.
Despite conceding early, Penn turned things around by going on a 3-0 tear. Sophomore attacker Catherine Berkery, senior attacker Keeley Block, and senior midfielder Anna Brandt all found their way onto the scoresheet to give the Red and Blue a three-goal lead. However, after Harvard switched to a zone defense, the Quakers’ offense stalled. From there, the Crimson went on its own run to regain the lead.
The next time Penn would score would be midway through the second quarter, and the Quakers would enter the halftime break down one. The third and fourth quarters were ones dominated by strong goalie performances. Harvard goalkeeper Lizzie Francioli and freshman goalkeeper Orly Sedransk traded save for save to keep the game a low-scoring affair.
“[Sedransk] is doing great for us. She has come up big in big games, and she’s making some incredible saves,” Corbett said. “And it’s impressive, not just for a freshman, but she’s a very good goalie. And the defense is really confident in her, and she played well.”
The rain that came down steadily as the game progressed led to plenty of uncharacteristic mistakes from the Red and Blue. Players slipped, and passes sailed high and wide. Penn ended the game with a shockingly high 20 turnovers. The turnovers came at the worst possible times for the Quakers, as they often occurred while Penn was driving on offense.
Even with the loss of momentum, the Quakers fought back. Two goals from Berkery in the third quarter were enough to take the Quakers into the last period of play tied with the Crimson. There, Brandt gave the Red and Blue a narrow lead early into the fourth quarter, slotting the ball home off of a free position shot. However, Harvard responded with three straight goals to give the Crimson a two-goal lead with just over six minutes to play.
A tripping penalty called on Brandt saw Penn’s best player sidelined with a yellow card on what was a must-score possession for the Quakers. A crucial save from Sedransk gave the Red and Blue the ability to drain the penalty clock to give them a full-strength opportunity to tie the game up. Unfortunately, senior attacker Erika Chung’s free position attempt sailed wide of the net, and a turnover by Berkery handed the ball to Harvard with just over a minute to play. A last-ditch ride was not enough to force a miracle as the Crimson held on to the ball to complete the upset of the Quakers.
“We had a big win against Maryland, and I don’t think we followed it up with good practices and the mindset that we took when we played Maryland,” Corbett said. “And we’ve got to take every game as a big game. And Yale beat us twice last year, so I’m hoping that that [itself] is great motivation.”
The Quakers will have one week to rest and prepare before their next game. Penn women’s lacrosse will welcome defending Ivy League champions, No. 12 Yale, to Franklin Field. After falling to the Bulldogs in the Ivy League tournament championship game last season, the Quakers will be looking to honor their seniors with a win this time around. The opening draw is slated for 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 12.
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