It's been said that if the Penn field hockey team didn't have bad luck, it wouldn't have any luck at all.
Not so on Wednesday night. The Quakers (3-8, 0-3 Ivy League) got a temporary reprieve from their misfortune, toppling La Salle (3-10) at a rainy Franklin Field, 6-3.
Sophomore Liz Lorelli netted a first-half hat trick for the Red and Blue, effectively taking the Explorers out of the game. Penn never looked back.
With the win, the Quakers broke a four-game losing streak. It was La Salle's ninth loss in its last 10 contests.
The victory, Penn's first in the month of October, rejuvenated the Red and Blue as they prepare to reopen their Ivy League schedule on Friday night.
On Wednesday, the sometimes passive Quakers wasted no time initiating the attack. Lorelli opened the scoring with a pair of goals in the first 11 minutes.
But the Explorers' Emily Simone--the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week--soon responded. The freshman forward cut the Quaker advantage in half, diving to deflect a shot past a screened Amanda Jacobs.
Penn would add another two goals before the break.
Junior Marianne Rogers netted her first goal of the season at the 6:00 mark, minutes before Lorelli notched her hat trick to open the 4-1 advantage.
The Red and Blue dominated the flow during the first half of play, outshooting the Explorers by a 14-2 margin.
La Salle coach Sarah Catlin pulled starting goalkeeper Colleen Bulger at the break, opting for sophomore understudy Sarah Kearney. The Quakers picked up right where they left off.
Quakers' sophomore Cecelia Carriquery, who came off the bench for Lorelli, beat Kearney on a deflection at the at the 27:15 mark. Freshman Lea Salese connected with Carriquery to record her second assist of the night.
Simone and sophomore Lindsey Tyler would add a pair of goals to close the margin for the Explorers, but Carriquery's second goal closed the scoring on a positive note for the Red and Blue.
The Quakers hope to carry the momentum over to Friday, when they face off against Ivy League rival Columbia.
The Lions (3-8, 0-3 Ivy League) come into the game with overall and conference records identical to the Quakers. The two teams are currently tied with Yale for last place in the Ivy League.
Columbia has won only once in six tries on the road, prevailing at Lehigh in their season opener. Their offense has stalled lately, managing a mere four goals in their last five games.
Despite their offensive woes, Columbia has suffered heavily on the defensive side. Their 36 goals put them at last place in the Ancient Eight.
Their last win came on Sept. 28 against La Salle.
