Throughout the beginning of his collegiate career, Penn sophomore Zandy Reich found himself playing in the shadow of his older teammates. However, last night everything changed.
Reich stepped out of the shadows and into the limelight, racking up eight points in the Penn men's lacrosse team's 15-11 win over Lehigh.
Prior to last night's game, Reich's career high was three points with two goals -- a mark he set during his freshman season. He obliterated that record last night, scoring six goals and earning two assists.
Though pleased with his play in the game, Reich modestly claims that his teammates deserve all of the credit.
"I didn't have to do a whole lot of work," Reich said. "It was my teammates that got me the ball and I was just in the right place at the right time. They set me up."
The win came at a crucial time for the Quakers (5-6, 1-4 Ivy), who were riding a four game losing streak and desperately needed a win if they wanted to finish over .500.
"We feel a lot better right now," Penn coach Brian Voelker said. "We played pretty well."
The Quakers offense dominated the game from the outset, going up 5-2 by the end of the first quarter.
By halftime, Penn was six goals better than a beleaguered Lehigh team.
"We came out with intensity," Reich said. "And we played unselfishly."
The Engineers (4-8, 1-3 Patriot) attempted a comeback in the second half, but the Quakers' offense was too strong, scoring five more goals before the end of the game.
Penn's 15 goals surpassed its previous season high of 13, which it recorded March 15 against Army.
"We were pretty good on the offensive end," Voelker said. "We shot the ball well."
Though pleased with the offensive performance, Voelker thinks the defense could have played better.
"I wasn't real happy with the defensive end," he said.
Penn won 15 of 29 faceoffs and got 43 ground balls while Lehigh only collected 31.
The Quakers also jumped into the top-20 in the nation, going one for three in extra man situations.
In addition to Reich's standout performance, Will Phillips continued his superlative play for the Quakers. The junior extended his points streak to 16 games with four goals and one assist.
Like Reich, Phillips attributes his success to his teammates.
"My teammates have been setting me up great," Phillips said. "I owe it all to them.
Greg Voigt also contributed considerably with three goals and one assist.
The Quakers will need to ride the momentum of this win into the weekend when they face Villanova in their final non-league contest. The Wildcats are 8-3 this season and will prove to be a challenge for Penn's defense.
The Red and Blue will need a win in order to keep alive their hopes of finishing the season with a winning record.
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