An 11-game winning streak that started in February came to an end on Wednesday, as women’s lacrosse (11–2 overall, 4–1 Ivy League) fell to the University of Pennsylvania (7–5, 3–2) in a 15–12 loss.
After falling behind to a blazing hot five-goal run from the Quakers early in the game, the Tigers were unable to fully close the gap despite an aggressive second-half comeback attempt.
Penn came out of the gates with a vengeance in this rivalry matchup. After losing to Yale in quadruple overtime the week before, the Quakers looked like they had something to prove. Although junior attacker Haven Dora opened up the scoring at the five minute mark to put Princeton up 1–0, Penn quickly responded with three goals to finish out the quarter.
In the second quarter, both teams started to get a little chippy, with players on both sides picking up green cards. The major difference was that while the Tigers were stopped during their power play opportunities, the Quakers were able to capitalize and grow their lead. At halftime, the Tigers trailed 7–3 with their only goals of the quarter coming from junior attacker Jami MacDonald.
“Penn was doing a good job clogging up passing lanes and making every possession a true battle,” Head Coach Jenn Cook told The Daily Princetonian after the game. “We were doing the same as well; it was such a tight first half, and nothing was easy for either side.”
Despite the difficult first half, the Tigers came roaring back out of halftime. Following an early Quaker score that made it 8–3, Princeton began to pick up momentum.
“We talked at halftime about getting back to our game and focusing on our details in all three phases of the game,” Cook told the ‘Prince.’ “We knew we were capable of playing better team lacrosse and that there was a lot of game left for us to get back into it. We came up short, but it’s a good reminder that when we play a full 60 minutes of our best lacrosse we can be a very good team.”
In under a minute, MacDonald and sophomore attacker Meg Morrisroe both found the back of the net to bring the Tigers within three. From there, Princeton finally managed to capitalize on a power play opportunity when junior midfielder Lane Calkins scored with 11 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
The Tigers struggled with converting shot attempts in the first half, scoring three out of 15, but they started hot in the second half, scoring on all three shots following Calkins’ goal. At one point in the second half, the Orange and Black were an astounding five out of five goals from the field.
The high efficiency numbers were much more recognizable for a Princeton team that has consistently had a top ranked offense this season. After an uncharacteristic first half, the second half looked a lot more like the Tigers team that fans have gotten used to during their 11-game win streak.
“It was definitely tough to start the game and fall behind, but that actually fueled us going into the second half,” Dora said to the 'Prince'. “Once we settled in, played our game, and leaned on each other, we were able to battle back and compete with them all over the field. It shows how much heart we have and how badly we wanted it.”
With 8:33 left in the fourth quarter, it looked as though Princeton might be able to pull off a signature win with a massive comeback. Following scores from junior midfielder Maggie Molnar and sophomore midfielder Colette Quinn, Dora capped off a 3–0 Princeton run to tie the game at 12 apiece, completing her hat trick that day.
Unfortunately for the Orange and Black faithful, that was the last spark for the Tigers on the night. Penn responded with a three-goal run of their own, ultimately defending their home turf and taking a 15–12 victory.
The game itself got very physical, with lots of cards being handed out on both sides. Despite the rough play, Cook said it was an important experience for the team as they head into the postseason.
“With the Ivy League being as strong as it is and every game meaning so much to each team, there’s an expectation of games getting tighter as we get closer to May,” Cook stated. “You need to be able to play through adversity if you want to have success in the postseason, so this game was a good reminder of that and a good opportunity for our group to experience a postseason-type game.”
Notably, first-year Penn goalie Orly Sedransk had a career-high day with 14 saves, while Penn’s attack capitalized on eight goals from just three players.
The loss sets up a critical game this Saturday against Brown (10–3, 4–1) at Sherrerd Field on Senior Day for the Tigers. The Bears are currently tied atop the Ivy League with the Tigers, and the winner of this game will at the very least share an Ivy League title, depending on how the rest of the season plays out.
Moreover, the matchup will play a key role in determining seeding for the rapidly approaching Ivy League Tournament. The top seed in the Ivy League will host the tournament, bringing a critical home-field advantage to the biggest games of the season.
Despite the loss, Cook is looking forward to the rest of the season.
“We just ran out of time and couldn’t get out of the deficit we created in the first half of the game,” Cook explained to the ‘Prince.’ “This game was a good lesson to learn now instead of in May during tournament time.”
“There were a lot of positive takeaways, but also some details we need to fine tune before this weekend,” Dora concluded. “Our focus now is on having a strong practice, trusting in our team’s ability, our culture, and the game plan the coaches put together. We are excited for the opportunity to bounce back against Brown this weekend.”
Doug Schwartz is an associate Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com
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