W. Lax: Penn finishes season in disappointing fashion

This was not how it was supposed to end.

Just two weeks ago, it seemed that the Quakers had orchestrated a turnaround of their lackluster season. They went into their game against Dartmouth fresh off an upset of No. 11 Penn State with a four-game winning streak.

However, the Quakers (6-10, 2-5 Ivy League) were unable to hold on to their momentum, dropping the final three games of their season, including the hard-fought finale on Saturday afternoon at Brown, 10-8.

Although they would have preferred to go out with a win, seniors Alison Polk-Williams and Kate Murray ended their collegiate careers with a bang with three and two goals, respectively.

Heeding coach Karin Brower's endless urging to play from the first whistle, the Quakers proved that they had gotten over their tendency to start slowly, exploding in the first half.

The Quakers took a quick 3-0 lead within the first three minutes on goals from Polk-Williams, junior Lindsey Cassidy and Murray.

"They just started off like gangbusters out there, and they did the same thing in the second half," Brower said. "If there's one thing they learned this season from wins like Penn State, it's that it takes 60 minutes to win a game and that they're capable of it."

The Bears (5-8, 3-3), however, answered back, scoring four consecutive goals within four minutes to take over the lead.

Polk-Williams again found the back of the net 11:47 into the game, evening the score at 4-4.

Brown quickly regained the initiative. The Bears ran off three unanswered goals to gain a 7-4 advantage.

The Quakers entered halftime trailing by one goal, as senior co-captain Whitney Horton and Murray each managed to get the ball past Brown goaltender Julia Southard.

The second half unfolded much like the first, as the Quakers took the lead, scoring two goals within the first minute of play.

They could not hold on, however, as the Bears fought back with three consecutive goals to seal their victory at 10-8.

"The game went back and forth, but Brown came out on top," Brower said. "It was a really disappointing loss, but we didn't win a close game all year. We didn't play all 60 minutes."

Offensively, the Quakers edged the Bears in shots, 26-20, while the Bears grabbed 33 of 49 ground balls.

The Quakers graduate six seniors this year, including captains Christy Bennett and Horton and starting goalie Harper.

"The seniors will be missed sorely. Christy Bennett leaves everything on the field every day and never complains," Brower said. "Their work ethic is just an inspiration for the underclassmen."

The Quakers finish their 2003 season in sixth place in the Ancient Eight standings, ahead of Harvard and Columbia.

"The most important thing for a growing program is the confidence to shoot and win," Brower said. "We gave a lot of teams this season a run for their money, so we're really looking forward to seeing what we can do next season."

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