W. Lax rolls in 12-9 Yale upset

It has been an up-and-down ride this season for the Penn women's lacrosse team. Things started out with a win over Villanova, followed by losses to Harvard and Loyola. Then came consecutive wins over Cornell and Temple, followed by a disappointing loss to Rutgers, which left the Quakers at .500 overall and in the Ivy League going into last Saturday's game at Yale. If Penn was to continue the roller coaster pattern, the team would have to beat the 11th-ranked Elis. The Quakers, ranked 15th, did not disappoint, solidly beating Yale, 12-9. "This is really big," sophomore defender Sue Quinn said. "Now we're 2-1 in the Ivies. One of our goals is to win the Ivies, and we think we have a good shot now." Penn (4-3, 2-1 Ivy League) took control of the game quickly, and never gave up the lead. The Quaker lead at halftime was only 5-4, but the team was "in control all the way," according to coach Anne Sage. And Penn blew open the contest early in the second half with several quick scores, led by junior Lori Frutkin (five goals) and sophomore Amy Shapiro (three goals, one assist). "We played two really solid halves," Sage said. "We had control of the game. We were a step ahead in terms of executing well." Sage was especially pleased with the Quaker offense, which executed well and in turn helped out the defense. "We did a lot of backdoor cuts," Sage said. "We were able to penetrate and dump. We always had the edge. The attack had more possession, which let our defense recover. "We beat them in transition down the field and they couldn't set up their defense. As the game wore on, we got stronger." The victory was an important one for Penn after the loss to Rutgers. The Quakers' up-and-down season was at peak a week ago after they defeated nationally-ranked Temple, but then took a turn downhill with the loss at Rutgers. "[The loss] made us realize we had to work harder," Quinn said. "We couldn't take anything for granted. We went to Yale with a whole different attitude. We were more aggressive, and we played our game." The Quakers now stand at one game over .500, with three more road games coming up this week. If form held, and Penn's inconsistent pattern continued, the team would go 1-2. But the Quakers are looking to get off the roller coaster and start a different pattern. "We're looking for three wins this week," Sage said.