The 15th-ranked Penn women's lacrosse team closed out Ivy League play for the 2005 season with an 8-6 win at Brown on Saturday.
Senior Allie Juras opened the scoring for the Quakers (7-7, 4-3 Ivy) with her goal off a pass from Rachael Manson just under five minutes into the game. Junior Ali Ryan added a goal of her own less than ten minutes later, but Brown (3-9, 1-4) responded with two goals to even the score.
Junior Emily Cochran and freshmen Allison Ambrozy and Manson all added goals before the end of the half; freshman Kaitlin Farmer also contributed with a point, the first of her collegiate career. These efforts, especially from the freshman, elevated Penn to a 6-4 lead going into the second half.
Cochran led the scoring in the second half with two more goals. Though Brown managed two more points in the second half, they could not match Penn's offensive abilities, as the Quakers outshot the Bears, 31-17. A strong performance from Penn freshman goalie Sarah Waxman, who had six saves, helped seal Brown's fate
Though Cochran, a junior, topped the scoring tally with three goals for the game, Penn coach Karin Brower recognized the contributions of some of the younger players whose goals, assists and defensive efforts helped the Quakers secure a win.
"We subbed a lot of kids in that had not played before," Brower said. "We had a lot of freshman step up ... Our freshman goalie, Sarah Waxman, did a good job with her first time starting, also."
But the positive outcome of the Quakers' last opportunity for Ancient Eight competition provided only a thin veil over the relative disappointment expressed by Brower and her players. Even though they managed a winning record in the Ivy League, the Quakers will not make the NCAA Tournament this year because they did not have a winning record. Had they won just one more game and with their current No. 15 ranking, the Quakers would have had been a team on the bubble for an at-large bid to the Tournament.
"The whole team is disappointed," Brower said. "Our goal was to make the Tournament and we didn't. We had plenty of opportunities, but we still didn't."
Brower cited difficulties with scheduling as an obstacle for Penn this season. To fit the necessary number of games within the constraints of the University's semester scheduling, the team often had to play two games a week, creating unfavorable conditions for many of its matches.
"It is tough to play two games every week. Two matches a week against these teams is daunting," Brower said.
Still, the players, especially the departing seniors, should express confidence in the program that they have helped build, a program that is on the upswing.
"The senior class had definitely turned this program around," Brower said.
