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Penn sophomore attacker Scott Solow notched a hat trick for the visiting Quakers last night. But it was not enough, as Penn suffered a 10-9 overtime loss to crosstown rival Villanova. (Stefan Miltchev/DP File Photo)

After an 18-6 drubbing courtesy of No. 2 Syracuse, the Penn men's lacrosse team was hoping to bounce back and guarantee itself a winning season. The No. 19 Quakers (6-6) failed in their mission, as they suffered a 10-9 overtime loss at Villanova (6-6) last night. Penn had a lead in each of the last three quarters, but failed to pick up an insurance score all three times. As a result, the Wildcats were able to tie it up on each occasion to keep their chances alive for an upset. That upset became a reality when Villanova junior attacker Justin Marks found the back of the net off a feed from junior midfielder Randall Calvert with 3:15 left in the overtime period. And while it was the overtime score that ultimately iced the Quakers, it was Villanova's 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter that put them in a hole from the start. "What hurt us most was the lapse in the first quarter," Penn junior defender Read Mortimer said. "We didn't come out fired up enough. As a team, we came out flat and let them get three quick goals. "In an overtime game, that is what lost us the game." The Quakers responded, however, with a 3-0 run of their own. Sophomore attacker Scott Solow scored just 12 seconds into the second quarter, and seniors Todd Minerley and Adam Solow soon followed suit. After Penn's goals tied the score at three, the remainder of the game was characterized by parity between the two teams. One factor in Penn's failure to blow out the Wildcats was the loss of senior midfielder Kevin Cadin. Penn's leading scorer with 19 goals, 11 assists and 30 points, Cadin suffered a season-ending injury last weekend at Syracuse when he tore his ACL. Last night's game was the first Cadin has missed all season. And while the Quakers do have depth on the bench, their difficulties adjusting to the loss were evident on the field. "Pete Scott moved down to attack, and we moved some guys to midfield, but you can't really replace one of your main players," Mortimer said. Nonetheless, the Quakers aren't blaming the situation on their star player. "We definitely missed Kevin Cadin in the lineup, but that's not an excuse," Scott Solow said. The Quakers will be without Cadin again as they try to salvage a .500 season with a win over Delaware this weekend. "With three days left, no one wants to give up on... a winning record," Mortimer said. "Everyone's going to come out hard the next three days and hopefully the results on Saturday [against Delaware] are going to show it."

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