The outlook was bleak as the Penn men's lacrosse team closed out the first quarter of its game Saturday in Boston.
The Quakers (4-2, 1-0 Ivy) were trailing, 3-1, but a strong second half effort and seven unanswered goals lifted the Quakers over Harvard, 8-6.
"It was a little bit of a character tap," Penn senior captain Alex Kopicki said. "It was a really good game."
The Quakers came out with an early lead when senior Jake Martin netted a goal at 13:44, but Harvard (2-3, 0-1) was quick to respond.
The Crimson took control of the game, coming right back with four goals. Harvard freshman Sean Kane and senior Matt Primm scored two goals apiece.
Penn cut the advantage to 4-3 at the half when sophomore Zandy Reich and freshman James Riordan scored.
"It really showed that we can stand up to a bit of adversity," Kopicki said.
Penn continued to dominate in the second half.
"The second half was a whole turnaround," Riordan said. "The offense put it together and stopped being lackadaisical and the defense put it together."
Riordan came out to net another goal at 13:04 in the third period and Martin, along with freshman Chase McGowan, added two more goals to end the quarter.
The Quakers continued to build their lead, as sophomore Greg Voight and senior Evan Weinberg brought Penn's total to eight. It was the senior's first collegiate goal.
"It was good to see our team come through," Kopicki said.
Harvard drew closer to the Red and Blue with two other goals, but it was not enough to overcome Penn's explosive offensive rout.
Penn senior goalie Mark Gannon recorded eight saves, including one with only 18 seconds remaining to seal the two-goal victory
Saturday's win was a repeat performance from last year's victory at Franklin Field and brought the Quakers' winning streak to three for the first time this season.
It also kicked off the Ivy season on the right foot and brought Penn a step closer in its quest for an Ivy League title.
"We especially wanted to get the win because it is our Ivy League opener," Kopicki said. "We can build off this momentum."
His teammates agree that this win set the tone for the remaining league games.
"It definitely helps that we got a winning streak going," Riordan said. "It sets the tone for the rest of the Ivy games and will really help our confidence for Saturday."
The Quakers travel to Ithaca, N.Y. to take on Cornell this weekend. In last season's meeting, the Quakers dropped a 7-4 decision to the Big Red at Franklin Field.
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