Yale scores last 8 to overwhelm W. Lax

Throughout much of its matchup against Yale, the No. 12 team in the country, last Saturday, the sun was shining on the women's lacrosse team both literally and figuratively. As the sun drenched Franklin Field, the Quakers were busy raining shots on the Elis' net. As the middle of the second frame approached, the upset Penn coach Anne Sage had predicted two days earlier looked to be taking shape, as Penn held a 5-4 advantage. The Red and Blue played with a great deal of confidence, beating Yale players to loose balls and controlling the pace of the game. All the while, though, they had to know that a giant such as the visiting Elis would not remain dormant forever. And when that awakening finally came, it arrived in the rudest of manners. Yale went on an eight-goal tear that went unanswered by the beleaguered Quakers. Only the game's expiration could end the barrage, which went into the books as a 12-5 victory for the less-than-sportsmanlike squad from New Haven. "[Yale] scored a lot of uncontested goals. They simply got stronger as the game went on," Sage said. After knotting the game at five, the visitors seemed to snap into top form, repeatedly knifing through the Quakers' defense and taking aim at helpless goalie Alexis Seth. To their credit, the Quakers did not just roll over and die as the powerful Elis steamrolled down the warpath. The offense, led by Amy Shapiro and Amy Tarr, made its way up the field without much difficulty. It was penetrating the crease that proved troublesome. When Penn's attackers got near the net they would be met by a hard-hitting Yale defender or the foreboding presence of goalie Joan Sullivan, who managed to turn back many would-be Penn goals. "[Sullivan] may have made the difference today," Sage said. Indeed, her performance stifled much more than the Quakers' offense -- it hurt their team morale also, as many well-orchestrated offensive thrusts went for naught. For Penn's players, absorbing the loss wasn't as difficult as hearing from the boarish Yale stickhandlers throughout the match. Afterward, numerous members of the home side could be heard discussing not Yale's lacrosse prowess, which now stands undeniable given its 5-0 record, but its lack of class. Throughout the game, Yale players verbally berated their hosts and the referees. To cap it all off, the team continued its push to score, notching a final goal with one tick left on the clock. Following that tally, the Elis' bench stormed the field, celebrating as if they had just won the World Cup final. So as the memories of this latest loss fade into oblivion for the Quakers (1-5, 0-3 Ivy League), they can take heart in the strong showing they gave for much of the contest. While she didn't get her promised upset, Sage nonetheless found a number of positives. "I saw progress. We played a well for a long time today," she said. At this point, progress is really all Sage can ask for as her team comes off a particularly grueling stretch of the young season. Penn will look to regroup as it heads deeper into spring and hits the stretch run.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.