W. Lax cruises past Villanova

It was a strange beginning to the Penn-Villanova women's lacrosse game last night. First, the national anthem wasn't played, because there was no flag at Franklin Field. And early on the officials delayed the game to take five extra minutes off the clock. But while the start of the game was inauspicious, the outcome was anything but for the Quakers. Penn dominated from start to finish and cruised to a 16-3 spanking of the Wildcats. The resounding win in the team's opener could be a sign of good things to come. "I'm extremely pleased," Penn coach Anne Sage said. "At times you're ragged [in the first game], but I think we got off to a good start." The Quakers got off to a blazing start in the game. Senior co-captain Sabrina Walheim opened the floodgates early with a score after streaking through the heart of the Villanova defense. It was the first of many. From there, things snowballed until the Wildcats were buried at halftime, 10-0. Sophomore Amy Shapiro scored three goals in the first half, and juniors Melissa Sage and Katie Burg tallied two apiece. Sophomore Alanna Wren also had a strong half, scoring once after stealing the ball, and assisting on another. The second half brought more of the same. Burg scored the first goal from the side of the net after Wren penetrated the defense and passed to her. Two straight Villanova scores made the score 11-2, but whatever slim hopes the Wildcats held of a miracle comeback were squashed with three quick Penn scores. Junior Lori Frutkin added two more goals to make the score 16-2, and a late Villanova goal closed out the scoring. "We got off to a good start," Sage said of the team's effort. "We had good ball-handling skills." Sage was especially happy with the Quakers' effort as a team, which she has been stressing in practice. "I can't emphasize enough that we're trying team play, with everyone working together as a team, and I think that's what you saw today," she said. "You saw balance, you saw our attack has flair, our defense is steady." The Penn attack indeed had flair. The Quakers repeatedly sped past their defenders and deep into the middle of the Villanova zone. This "fast break" offense will hopefully create numerous scoring opportunities, Sage said. "We were penetrating and dumping," she said. "I think that's going to be the earmark of our success. "What you saw was our ability to take control of the game. Like a fast break in basketball -- pass, penetrate and dump. That's what we were doing very well." Defense also went very well for Penn. On the rare occasions that Villanova entered the Penn zone and mounted a scoring threat, the Quakers were usually able to steal the ball. And sophomore goalie Alexis Seth was satisfied with her steady effort. "I did O.K.," Seth said. "Compared to what I did last year, it's a great improvement. I learned a lot since last year, and I felt more comfortable than I did in the first game last season." When you put it all together, it was a solid season-opener. And it leaves Sage enthusiastic about Penn's chances this season. "I'm pleased," Sage said. "I'm excited about this group. This group has great potential. They have the potential to be an outstanding team." Seth echoed her coach's comments, expressing hope for a good season. "The team looked really good," Seth said. "They worked together. I think [training over spring break in] Florida had a lot to do with it. "We looked good. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season."