A torn anterior cruciate ligament last fall abruptly ended Penn field hockey defender Jess Kaylor's junior season.
Kaylor's comeback this fall has placed her in open spots all over Franklin Field, including right and left midfield, and all three back positions.
"I am happy to go in and help out wherever [the coach] needs me," Kaylor said.
During Penn's match at Yale last Saturday, that is exactly what she did.
Senior All-American Liz Lorelli put the Red and Blue on the board with just under six minutes left in the first half.
Then, three minutes into the second half, Kaylor scored off a broken corner to propel the Quakers to a 2-0 win over the Elis (4-8, 1-4 Ivy).
The victory extended the Red and Blue's current shutout streak to five games, and earned the Quakers (11-4, 4-1) their seventh shutout of the season.
Kaylor's goal marks the first of her collegiate career. Though she has spent most of this season on defense, she was playing left midfield when she found the back of the net.
"I don't really know why I was playing left mid, but I was happy to be there," Kaylor said.
The Quakers' victory over Yale was full of firsts; senior tri-captain Bernice Raveche earned the first point of her college career when she assisted Lorelli's goal late in the first half.
"I didn't know it would be a goal," Raveche said. "I just put it [into the circle] and hoped someone would touch it."
Raveche's contribution on offense did not detract from her solid defensive performance. Penn defenders Kate Murphy, Kelly McFadden and Raveche worked successfully to continue Penn's shutout streak.
Freshman sweeper Melissa Black also reinforced the Red and Blue's defensive barrier. Black was recently named Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the second time this season.
The Quakers' victory also illustrated the team's strength across all sections of the field; senior tri-captain and midfielder Sara Shelley attributes this success, in part, to a new midfield lineup.
The formation, which the team adopted at the beginning of this season, includes four midfielders instead of three.
"We now have two players on the inside as options to better support our forwards," Shelley said. "Since we only have two forwards, one of our inner mids moves up to help them attack. This way, we are supporting our forwards as much as our defense."
Strong efforts all over the field were especially crucial in the second half when, following their second goal, the Quakers struggled to build an attack. Playing conservatively after an early lead, the Red and Blue managed to hold the Elis scoreless.
A timeout provided the change of pace needed for the Quakers to reverse their style of play.
"We wanted to hold on to our lead," Raveche said. "But during the timeout, we realized we couldn't be afraid to take risks and make mistakes."
Such an attitude should help the Quakers further extend their winning streak as they near the end of their season. This Saturday, the Red and Blue face Brown at Franklin Field in their penultimate match of the season.
PENN 1 1 -- 2 Yale 0 0 -- 0
First Half -- 1. Lorelli (P) 5:55 (Ravache)
Second Half -- 2. Kaylor (P) 32:04 (unassisted)
