'Bess' effort by Quakers

Penn's Bess Freedlander scored the only goal in against West Chester. It started when they found their lockers decorated by their teammates. The festivities continued onto the field when all four seniors, Sarah Dunn, Audrey Heinel, Amy Johnson and Jennifer White were presented with flowers as their names were announced. The night was not merely about ceremonies, though; there was a game to be won. Last night the four seniors on the Penn field hockey team played for the last time on Franklin Field. It was an emotional match as the Penn Quakers (8-8 overall, 4-2 Ivy League) beat West Chester (8-11) by a score of 1-0. "It was our last home game. Going out everyone wanted to win," Dunn said. Ultimately, it was sophomore Bess Freedlander who provided the winning scoring with 8:07 left in the first half, off an assist by Leah Bills. That goal would prove to be all the Quakers would need to win. Sarah Dunn kept the game a shutout, notching 12 saves. Quakers coach Val Cloud, while obviously happy with the win, was disappointed with the way the Red and Blue played as a team. "I don't know what was the matter," Cloud said. "We just didn't work well together tonight. We just didn't finish. We did a lot of good passing; we just didn't get anything out of it. I just felt we should have dominated more and obviously gotten more shots and goals than we did." In the second quarter the team's level of intensity seemed to diminish. "I don't think we played as well as we could have," Freedlander said. "I think we lucked out a bit. They had a lot of opportunities, as did we, and they just couldn't capitalize. Our first half was stronger than our second half" The numbers bear that statement. In the first, Penn outshot West Chester 12 to four. In the second, the Red and Blue had a mere four shots on goal, compared to West Chester's 10. Although not the Quakers' best game of the season, the win provided the Red and the Blue with a needed morale boost, after the previous two tough losses to Yale and Penn State. "I'm very happy to snap the losing streak. I think we needed to end the homestand season well," Freedlander said. The game, as the last home game of the season, was of even more importance to the seniors. "I don't think the seniors could have played any harder or any better," Heinel said. "I think we played well. Everyone realized it was the last time we were going to play on Franklin Field. We didn't win by a lot, but I was just happy that we won." "I think it was extremely important to leave on a positive note," Senior Jennifer White said. "It was good closure. It makes all the memories that much better."