Senior attacker/midfielder Robert Schain evades Cornell's Luke Gilmartin on March 30.
Credit: Grace ChenIn a season full of upsets and harsh battles, No. 17 Penn seems to have found its footing as King Killers. Facing off against No. 7 ranked Cornell, the Quakers fought out their hardest win of the year yet in a double overtime match that ended 11-10. The resounding victory marks just another step in Penn’s quest for their sixth Ivy Title.
Penn (7-3, 3-0 Ivy) ran out into a blustering wind to face off against Cornell (5-3, 2-1), a team they boasted a less-than flattering 11-22 home record against all-time. The match was set to show off some fireworks with Penn boasting the reigning Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week in senior Peter Blake and Cornell boasting the reigning Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week in CJ Kirst.
The wind gave the game a blisteringly cold bite, and it was the opposition who were able to get hot first as they opened the scoring of the game. Penn quickly responded as the man of the match, senior Cam Rubin, notched his first goal of many less than a minute later. Entering the match with only 14 goals on the season, Rubin would end this match reaching an impressive 20 total goals.
The first period was seemingly dominated by Cornell in terms of possession, with multiple defensive stops forced and face offs won by standout Marc Psyllos. These extra possessions soon turned to extra shots as the Big Red poured in a quick two goals. As Penn looked to respond, it was again Rubin who was able to step up, notching his second goal. Despite keeping up early on, Penn ran out of defensive answers as four different players were able to rack up a total of six goals against a usually potent Quaker defense.
In a complete change of pace, both Cornell and Penn played with extreme physicality for the entirety of the second period, resulting in plenty of shot clock violations and turnovers. Both teams seemingly couldn’t penetrate each other's defense, as only one goal was scored on each side of the ball. Rubin notched his third score early on, but the team found themselves down seven to five in a deflating first half.
As both teams headed to the locker room, the Red and Blue saw itself with six less shots and four more turnovers than the Big Red, a recipe for disaster against a ranked opponent.
Needing a response in the second half of play, Penn came out guns blazing in hopes of making up for lost time. Senior James Shipely became the first Quaker to score early in the second half, and Rubin, most likely getting jealous of not having scored in 15 minutes, decided to back up Shipely with a goal of his own to tie the match. As the pendulum decided to swing in Penn’s favor, the team was forced to rely on their defense to keep them in the game.
The center of said defense? Senior goalie Emmet Carroll. Arguably the best goalie in the country, but only found his normal form in the second half as he started off cold in the first period. After allowing 50 percent of shots on goal into the net in the first period, Carroll would only allow four goals over the ensuing 15 shots on goal. This herculean performance, and the awakening of the Quaker offense, allowed Penn to keep it tied entering the assumed final frame.
A solo goal by sophomore Griffin Scane, his second of the night, would give the Red and Blue their first lead early in the fourth. Needing to hold out for an excruciatingly long 10 minutes, the Quakers couldn’t ice the game as Kirst scored his 27th goal of the season to send the match to overtime.
Fans of both teams watched on in nervous anticipation knowing the next goal scored would give their team victory in the ensuing minutes, but as that anticipation built, no release was given. Each team battled it out defensively, with both goalies notching big time saves in the period. The match was then sent to its second over time, and the Quakers knew just the man to save the day.
Cutting through the wind, Rubin would find himself with possession once again after another successful Penn clear. Rubin slashed toward the net, and rip a beauty of a goal straight past Cornell goalie Matthew Tully. The ensuing cheering would ring across the stadium as the players rushed the field. As big of a win as any, the Red and Blue had every right to celebrate the win.
The match marks three straight Ivy League wins to start the season, a great sign for Penn's chances as the head deeper into their conference schedule.
With Ivy play continuing next week at Yale, you can watch the Quakers compete on ESPN+ on April Sixth at 12 p.m.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
Donate
