Downpour, Loyola spoil Penn opener

The Penn women's lacrosse team battled both the elements and the eighth-ranked team in the nation in losing their opener to Loyola (Md.) yesterday afternoon in Baltimore. "It was the most ridiculous game I've ever played in," said senior Quakers attacker Amy Shapiro, who had two goals in yesterday's 15-6 loss. "There was a constant downpour during the first half and we had to take a 40-minute break before we could even start the second half." Sophomore midfielder Darah Ross led Penn with three goals, while sophomore attacker Sue Pierce paced the Quakers with three assists. Though Loyola outscored Penn 8-4 in the first half and 7-2 in the second, Quakers coach Anne Sage does not place much importance on the game's outcome due to the inclement conditions. "They played in torrential rain," Sage said. "You can't be objective in horrible weather." The loss does not change Sage's optimism about the upcoming season. Despite the loss of six seniors from the team that finished last in the Ivy League in 1995, Penn has several key players returning, including three of its top five scorers from last year. "I'm excited about this team," Sage said. "I'm confident that we can develop a team concept and the right chemistry. We have a strong nucleus of players returning. Their strength is in knowing the value of teamwork and not worrying about individual stats and individual play." Senior Alex Brill-Edwards and junior Jill Brown are the leaders on low defense, which was the unit most heavily hit by graduation. The Quakers will also rely heavily on senior Jessica Gilhorn and sophomore Emmy Hansel among the midfielders. Hansel was second team all-Ivy as a freshman last year, despite never having played lacrosse before arriving at Penn. "Emmy's just incredibly fast," Shapiro said. The top returning scorers are senior attackers Alanna Wren and Shapiro, as well as junior attacker Amy Tarr. Shapiro and Tarr were the team's second- and third-leading scorers in 1995, with 21 and 13 points respectively. Tarr had nine points. Senior Alexis Seth returns for her fourth season as the Quakers' starting goalie. She has improved each season, posting a career-high .563 save percentage last year. The Ivy League is the top conference in the nation this year. Penn also plays several highly ranked non-conference opponents, such as Loyola, William & Mary and Rutgers. "Our expectations aren't really high, but we think we can provide tough competition against some top teams," Shapiro said. Sage is expecting younger players, such as sophomores Ross, Pierce, Caroline Chen and Jamie Schemberg to step up and fill in for those who graduated last year, particularly on the defensive end. "It's important that they all play with confidence and as a team," Sage said. "The key is the concept of working together."