W. Lax falls short in rally, loses 12-10 to Elis on Franklin Field

Yesterday afternoon, as the rest of the student body was beginning to roll out of bed after the weekend's activities, the Penn women's lacrosse team (4-7, 2-4 Ivy League) was preparing to face its final Ivy League competitors of the season. Although the Quakers had hoped to use yesterday's game to prove themselves in the Ivy League, Penn fell 12-10 to Yale (9-2, 3-2). The Red and Blue were down 7-1 before Darah Ross scored two goals. Penn got as close as 11-10 but could not get any closer. Penn midfielder Darah Ross scored the first goal of the game, but the Elis followed with seven goals and their roll could only be stopped by two more goals by Ross and a third by junior attacker Sue Pierce. Although Yale's leading scorer, Emily Groom, scored an eighth for the Elis, it was the Quakers' Jamie Schemberg who made the last goal of the half. In the second half, Penn outscored Yale by one goal. Junior middie Emmy Hansel and freshman attacker Brooke Jenkins both scored two goals during the period. For the Quakers, the game ended as it had begun, with Ross scoring their first and last goals. "We started off slowly, but we fought to come back," Jenkins said. "We brought it from 1-7 to 10-11 and were proud of ourselves." The Quakers' game was much cleaner than their last, with quick, sharp passing and successful catches. The only problem seemed to be that Yale was always one step ahead of them. Although the Elis' superior play could be attributed to their lack of "Fling-itis," it is more likely the precise advice from their coach, Amanda O'Leary, which kept them on the ball. O'Leary, who attended last Thursday's game against Rutgers, has been keeping close tabs on Penn's team. At that game, she took extensive notes on the offensive and defensive tendencies of the Quakers as well as the techniques of certain players. Noting which Penn's defensive style, its goalies' weaknesses, and which of its players go to goal versus those who look for a pass, O'Leary also recorded strategies that Yale should use to take advantage of the Quakers' weaknesses or to foil their plays. The Elis, whose record is nearly equal to Penn's, were certainly able to outsmart the home team. Although unable to beat Yale, the Red and Blue were successful in demonstrating their tenacity and determination through their nine-point comeback. The Quakers consistent upward trend can only mean further success next year.

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