F. Hockey dropped by Hens in OT

Megan Fortunato got the game's only goal on a breakaway, ruining Penn goalkeeper Sarah Dunn's shutout bid. Delaware freshman midfielder Megan Fortunato proved true to her name last night, as her fortunate goal in overtime lifted the 14th-ranked Fightin' Blue Hens field hockey team over the Quakers, 1-0, last night at Franklin Field. It was the Quakers' fifth overtime game of the season -- and their third loss -- after losing on October 4 to Harvard in double OT, 1-0. The Quakers are now 5-3 overall and 0-2 in the Ivy League. All three of their losses have come in the extra period. In an aggressive contest, the Quakers came out of the gate with more intensity than the Blue Hens (8-4). Penn dominated the first half all around, setting themselves up for six penalty corner opportunities and holding Delaware to none. The first chance brought two big shots by Penn senior co-captain Michelle Canuso-Bedesem; however, both failed to reach the cage. Play continued similarly, as senior midfielder Erica Childs saw one of her shots hit the post within the next minute. "The first half was the best half we've played all season, without question," Penn coach Val Cloud said. Penn soon saw other players pick up their intensity. Sophomore midfielder Maureen Flynn railed off a pair of shots in the 18th minute, but Delaware goalkeeper Kelly Adams held her position and denied Flynn both times. Adams' counterpart, Penn junior goalkeeper Sarah Dunn, also came up big in the final minutes of the half. With 7 1/2 minutes remaining, Dunn stopped two huge shots unloaded by the Delaware attack. Flynn attempted a shot on the final corner of the first half, but failed to convert on a dump-off pass from Canuso-Bedesem at the top of the circle. Both squads walked off the field at halftime with no results from an intense first half. The opening of the second half completely reversed the first. Delaware came out with a new strategy, one that threw the Red and Blue off their rhythm. "They backed off on the hits, so we weren't getting them through," Cloud said. "We weren't looking to change direction at all to try and stretch them out." The Quakers spent most of the first 15 minutes of the half backed in their own zone, with the exception of senior co-captain Emily Hansel's breakaway in the 30th minute. Hansel was denied however, as Adams came way out of the goal to poke the ball away. "You don't usually see goalies like that, so it's hard to practice against," Hansel said. With the Quakers looking confused, Cloud called a timeout with 20 minutes remaining. The team left the huddle with the shout of "intensity," and were quick to demonstrate it. The Quakers' attack suddenly became much stronger, as Cloud had broken down Delaware's change in strategy. Hansel attacked the goal on another breakaway, but was once again denied. In a flurry of activity in front of the cages, both goalies were able to stop big shots and keep the game moving at an up-tempo pace. With 8:25 remaining, Delaware sophomore forward Sara Hills thought she had put the game away after rifling a shot past Dunn on a penalty corner. The goal, however, was negated because Hills had used a backswing on her shot, and the ball was raised above the 18-inch board at the bottom of the goal, hitting the cage. "We were unfortunate against Cornell, when one of those was called a goal. When I saw it go in, I was just wishing that it wouldn't be," Hansel said. With time winding down and the game scoreless, the attacks became faster and stronger. Dunn and the Penn defense stood up a number of times to the speedy attack of Delaware forward Kelly Cawley, who leads her team in points with 34, including 18 assists. Both teams held each other off for the final five minutes, and the game was sent to overtime. In the seven-a-side period, play was wide open. Dunn stopped an early Delaware threat, denying Hills as she came in all alone on what looked like the game winner. Dunn could do no more, however, as Fortunato knocked her shot in on a three-on-one breakaway in the eighth minute, giving the Blue Hens the 1-0 victory. "What do you tell them in overtime? You put what you think are the best six people and the goalie out there, and play smart, " Cloud said. "Delaware just played smarter than we did."