W. Lax seniors make final collegiate road trip to Brown

With an Ivy League championship out of grasp and only one game left for the Penn women's lacrosse team, the Quakers seek to end the season on a high note with a win over Brown tomorrow.

The Quakers' six seniors will be making their final road trip as Penn travels to Providence, R.I., for the weekend contest.

"I can't believe that I am a senior," midfielder Whitney Horton said. "The thought of playing my last game hasn't really hit me yet. But once it's all over, and I look back on the past four years, I know I'm going to miss it a lot."

Both teams are coming off Ivy League losses. Penn (6-9, 2-4 Ivy) lost its game against Princeton, 13-8, on Wednesday, while Brown (4-8, 2-3) fell to No. 12 Yale, 15-10, the same day.

"We are excited to play Brown," senior goalkeeper Alaina Harper said. "We are fighting for the same spot in the Ivies right now, and this game is going to be a matter of who wants it more."

The Quakers are hoping to garner their first Ivy League victory since April 12, when they topped Harvard, 11-5, on the road.

"This is the last game of our season," Harper said. "We have a choice of leaving the field feeling good, or leaving it feeling like we didn't give it everything we've got. It's our choice, and we have no intentions of feeling regret."

Penn has had Brown's number recently, defeating the Bears in each of the past two years. The Quakers look to extend this streak with a solid performance tomorrow.

"After some disappointing losses against Princeton and Dartmouth, we are looking to close our season with a win against Brown," junior midfielder Lindsey Cassidy said. "It has come down to a matter of pride."

The senior presence for the Quakers has been substantial this year. Their three leading goal-scorers -- Cassidy, Kate Murray and Crissy Book -- will be playing in their final game against the Bears. Sophomore midfielder Katie Spofford is the leading underclassman scorer with 14 goals.

The defensive side of the field was also heavily dependent on senior leadership this year. Harper has made the start for Penn for the past 47 games in net, while Christy Bennett is one of the Quakers' top defenders, as she leads the team in caused turnovers and ground balls.

For a team laden with senior talent -- including Alison Polk-Williams who is third in points on the team -- the true effect of the loss might not be truly felt until next season. However, the rest of the Quakers hope to take advantage of their presence tomorrow while sending them off with a win.

"It is the last game for six seniors who are the foundation of our program," Cassidy said. "And I would like nothing better than for our team to come together to beat Brown and give them a great memory to leave with."

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