W. Lax has no chance against Princeton

The No. 13-ranked Quakers scored only four goals in each half in their 16-8 loss to No. 11-ranked Princeton. The Penn women's lacrosse team had looked forward to this season as one which would be much-improved from previous years. With strong senior athletes, promising freshmen and a new lineup designed to maximize the team's talent, the Quakers hoped to better last year's record -- especially in regards to their third-place Ivy League finish. Last night, however, the No. 13 Red and Blue (3-4, 2-2 Ivy League) lost 16-8 to Princeton (4-5, 3-1) at Franklin Field. For the third year in a row, Penn has won its first Ivy League matches, against Cornell and Harvard, and then proceeded to lose to Dartmouth and Princeton in back-to-back games. The Tigers, ranked 11th in the nation in the USILA/Brine poll, scored within the first two minutes of the game, making their presence known. Penn retaliated with four goals during the first period, but the Tigers outscored them, 9-5. Within two minutes of each of the Quakers' goals, Princeton matched Penn with at least one goal of their own. Respectively, the Tigers' Hilary Maddox and Melissa Cully scored four and three goals each. Not only does Princeton have seven more substitutes than Penn, but they need only two more players to have a complete second team. In addition, three of the Tigers have the advantage of having played together in high school. Hailing from Baltimore, Md., the epicenter of lacrosse, Princeton's Cully, Tice Burke, and Brent McCallister have been playing together for at least five years. As for the Quakers, Brooke Jenkins and Emily Hansel scored two goals each. Goalkeeper Sue Back played the entire 60 minutes of the game and made nine saves. But Princeton executed sharp passes and shot both frequently and quickly, making Back's job particularly difficult. Within the first seven minutes of the game the score was tied twice, but from then on the Tigers made a run with the ball. Although their score was more than double that of the Quakers' during the rest of the game, Penn refused to admit defeat. The Red and Blue fought back right down to the last minute, when Hansel made the Quakers' final shot of the game. Despite the Quakers' determination, it has been a tough season thus far. Tri-captain Curran Kelly contracted a virus just less than three weeks ago, and the emotional strain weighed heavily on the team. Consequently, Penn has not been as strong without her leadership. Kelly made her second debut of the season during last night's game. The Quakers welcomed her return, and look forward to striving, as a whole team, toward victories in the remaining five games. Penn's tenacity combined with teamwork should be the panacea for their recent losses.

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