Penn offense unloads on Lafayette for 25 goals

Six Quakers scoreSix Quakers scoremore than one goalSix Quakers scoremore than one goalagainst the Leopards A few minutes before the Penn-Lafayette men's lacrosse game last night, a man on a bicycle came careening through Franklin Field -- and right into a hurdle. It was that kind of night for visitors to Penn, as Lafayette soon found out. As the Leopards left the field after a 25-8 shellacking at the hands of the Quakers, they had the same dazed look in their eyes as that ill-fated cyclist two hours before. Penn (3-4) came roaring out of the gate. After winning the initial face-off, the Quakers controlled the ball for over two minutes before senior midfielder Vern Briggs opened the scoring on a quick cut from behind the goal to the front of the crease. It was the first of a team-high four goals for the senior tri-captain. The Quakers then settled into a rhythm of goal scoring. By the seven-minute mark of the first quarter, Penn went up by a count of 3-0 and the rout was on. The Leopards (1-4) had no answer for the potent Quakers offense, which methodically attacked keeper Chris Ulz in the Lafayette goal. Penn's bigger defenseman frustrated the Leopards all night long on the other side of the field. Aggressive checking kept the visiting attackmen from seriously threatening freshman Matt Schroeder in the Penn goal. In the entire first quarter -- the only period in which the result was in any doubt -- Lafayette registered only one quality shot. But Schroeder came up with a reflex save on a fast-break shot by Mike Joedecke. "On defense, the philosophy is just to be relentless and hope for turnovers," Quakers sophomore defenseman Steve Gross said. In the early going, Penn succeeded in stalling the Leopards' offense. Time after time, Lafayette would come downfield, only to have the ball checked away. Penn also picked up most of the groundballs, winning 44-30 in that key area. Trailing 10-2 after two quarters, the second half offered little relief for the Leopards. In the first three minutes of the third quarter, John Ward and Andy Crofton added goals to stretch the Penn lead to double-digits, eliminating any remaining hopes of making the game competitive. "I think in the middle of the third we really knocked them down," said Crofton, who was one of six Quakers to score multiple goals. Ward continued his offensive assault, finishing with three goals and two assists. The sophomore's scoring average, which has hovered around 10th in the nation, now stands at 3.43 goals per game. Also key in the offensive success, John Cusson, who quarterbacked the offense in the first half, registering two goals and three assists. Penn dominated play from start to finish, and coupled with a solid effort holding the ball against Harvard last Saturday, seemingly put an end to the team's time of possession woes. As would be expected, the Quakers held a large advantage in shots on goal, 50-22. The margin of victory was the largest of the season for Penn, as was the number of goals scored.