Liz Lorelli is making her senior year one to remember for many years to come.
Lorelli took the Penn field hockey team on her back and scored the winning goal in overtime for the Quakers' fourth victory in a row, a 1-0 shutout of Columbia. Three out of Penn's four Ivy League contests have gone into overtime, and each time the Quakers (9-4, 3-1 Ivy) have emerged victorious. It was also their third consecutive shutout.
The crowd was full of new faces among the Red and Blue's supporters, who filled Franklin Field with their chants and enthusiasm typical of Homecoming weekend.
"It was pretty exciting have a larger than usual crowd," Lorelli said. "So many people are back."
However, everything was not smooth for the Quakers through the course of the game.
"Basically it was really frustrating," Lorelli said. "This wasn't our best game of the season, but we scored when it counted so it's all good."
The first half was capped off by a key save by Lorelli with a second remaining. She stepped in front of a shot by Columbia's Ramie Merrill. The second half was also a defensive struggle, with neither offense being able to turn its labors into points.
Penn had a 7-1 advantage in penalty corners, but could not capitalize on any one of these opportunities. The Quakers came very close to scoring several times throughout the game.
With 8:57 left in the sudden death period, Lorelli was finally able to break through the Columbia defense.
"They had the ball on the other side and they took a shot," Lorelli said. "I just kept on running and the ball was in front. I was 30-40 yards short of the goal, and I tried to field it up. I made a quick move toward the goalie, and I was able to shoot it through."
Mother Nature may have contributed to the slow play. Intermittent showers drenched the field throughout the course of the night. But unlike the MLB pennant chase in Boston, Penn and Columbia played through the weather.
"There were a lot of bouncy balls this evening," Penn coach Val Cloud said. "The [turf] didn't help the situation for either team."
Columbia (4-8, 1-3) had several opportunities, yet these threats were averted again and again by a stalwart Penn defense. The Quakers' defense, led by junior Kelly McFadden and freshman Melissa Black, was persistent. The multiple offensive efforts finally paid off for Penn in overtime.
"Looks like by just putting the constant pressure on, the dam had to break eventually. That was an awesome goal by Lorelli, it was just beautiful. We like these shutouts a lot," Cloud said.
After the score was in the record books, the Penn field hockey team paid tribute to the alumni at the game. The players gathered in line facing the crowd and sang "The Red and Blue," complete with hand waves.
The team had an additional reason to be in a light mood. Sophomore goalkeeper Elizabeth Schlossberg had recently been named to the Under-21 Junior National Field Hockey team that will travel to the Junior Pan American Championships in South America this winter.
Even though Schlossberg saw little action in the game, her presence alone was enough.
"Schlossberg is the most amazing goalie," Lorelli said. "You wouldn't even notice the things she does with the ball because she makes it looks so easy.
"She had a migraine before the game, she couldn't see. It was awesome that she could come out to play. Our entire defense played well. Another shutout is great."
