Although disappointed by its one loss over spring break, the Penn women's lacrosse team may have found something in the three games they played in over the break that is more important than a little hurt pride: consistency.
Even in their wins leading up to break, the Quakers (3-2) have been plagued by spotty play on offense and defense, with only a half of the team having a good game while the other half has struggled.
However, during their 11-2 rout of Boston College on Sunday, Penn shocked the Eagles by playing better than anyone had expected them to play this season.
"This was honestly the best I've ever seen us play," sophomore Lauren McDermott said. "If we can play at this same level for the rest of the year, a lot more teams are going to be feeling the same way Boston College felt on Sunday."
Penn coach Karin Brower echoed McDermott's sentiments.
"We have been off and on all year, sometimes the defense plays well, but then our attack won't be on," she said. "Boston College was the first game that we came out strong.
"We found our intensity right off the draw. Our defense was aggressive and causing turnovers, and our offense had much more movement on attack. It was the first game all season that we were really fluid."
The Quakers will need this new found fluidity if they are to be successful in their next two games against crosstown rival Temple and Ivy League foe Yale. In Brower's five-year tenure, the Quakers have yet to beat either team, but this could be their best chance.
"The key is going to be their intensity from the start of the game," Brower said. "If the girls come out strong, we will definitely have a chance."
In its 11-4 loss to Rutgers, Penn fell into a hole early and were unable to mount a comeback. The Red and Blue gave up four goals in the first five minutes, and then three more in the next 10. As they have done several times this season, the Quakers put themselves in a deep hole even though the game was only a third of the way finished.
"If we could have had the first five minutes back then the game could have turned out differently," Brower said. "We have been working on drills and techniques during pregame warmups in order to give our team intensity right from the draw."
The one Penn player who has been on fire for the past three games has been sophomore Emily Cochran. As a midfielder, she has emerged as one of the Quakers' premier scorers, netting an amazing 10 goals in three games.
Junior goalkeeper Liz Lorelli has also proved to be a strong asset to the Quakers with her tough play in net, averaging 10.8 saves per game. Defensively, she has been helped by the strong play of McDermott and sophomore Kate Parker.
