A visit from No. 3 Johns Hopkins was just what the Penn women's lacrosse team needed.
Even though the Quakers fell to the Blue Jays 12-9, they didn't play like the same team that scored just four goals against Cornell and lost to the mediocre Delaware Blue Hens earlier this season.
With eight minutes to go in the first half, the Quakers were in a bad way. Down 8-3, they were finding out why the Blue Jays are so highly ranked.
But then it started to come together.
Sophomore attacker Rachel Manson and junior midfielder Caroline Finger scored less than a minute apart, and soon after, sophomore midfielder Melissa Lehman netted a free position shot with just two ticks left on the clock.
"All of a sudden, right before half we started making things happen," said Lehman, who notched a pair of assists in addition to her two goals. "I think that really gave us a lot of confidence."
This may have been the missing ingredient in Penn's last few games, during which the Quakers didn't seem to be playing up to their potential.
It is surprising, however, that this self-assurance and calm came against one of the nation's best teams. After all, the "No. 3" alone might be enough to intimidate Hopkins' opponents.
But for Penn the challenge seemed to make all the difference.
"The first 10 minutes we were scared, but then we came back," said senior attacker Ali Ryan, who scored a goal. "It finally looked like we wanted it rather than we were scared."
The Quakers refused to back down as they were able to perform on both sides of the field.
By controlling possession and keeping the ball on the right side of the field, the attack managed to get off 31 shots, more than twice as many as the Blue Jays.
But despite the drastically improved performance by the attack, the defense may have been what really kept the Quakers in the game.
Led by attacker Mary Key, Hopkins' offense may be its strong point. But last night it turned the ball over 20 times, and the 12 goals was its second-lowest total of the season.
"Their attack is really good," Ryan said. "Just for us to have the ball in our hands means its not in theirs."
Keeping possession was crucial for the Red and Blue in the execution of its game plan, but once again the Quakers were done in by a poor shooting percentage. Although their attack played much better than their .290 shooting clip might suggest, the shots the Quakers missed may have been the difference in this close game.
"We had chances to tie that game tonight," coach Karin Brower said. "I think we had a couple 8-meter shots that we missed that I know those kids are reliving in their heads right now."
Even so, the players say they will use the experience as motivation heading into the Ivy season.
"If we can play with that heart and that enthusiasm we'll definitely have a good rest of the season," Ryan said. "April's a new month."
