When sophomore Allison Ambrozy scored the last goal during the women's lacrosse team's 9-8 win over No. 18 Syracuse Sunday, she netted not only the game-winner, but also broke Penn's 25-year-old record for team goals in a single season.
Ambrozy put number 167 through the poles, one more than was scored by the 1981 Quaker team.
However, Sunday's game didn't start out with the No. 20 Quakers (10-6, 4-3 Ivy) on top. Syracuse (9-7) jumped to a 2-0 lead and retained possession for most of the first six minutes due to early turnovers by Penn.
"There were a lot of shots, [Syracuse] kept missing the net and getting it back," coach Karin Brower said.
Penn's defense, though "was forcing [Syracuse] to take shots at not-great angles," Brower said. "And [goalie] Karrie [Moore's] saves gave confidence to the defense."
Moore would go on to make a total of 13 saves on the day.
The Quakers' attack got its chance halfway through the first and fired off four in a row from Ambrozy, sophomore attacker Rachel Manson, junior midfielder Caroline Finger and junior attacker Chrissy Muller.
The Orange then answered back with three of its own, making the score 5-4 at the half.
Yet Brower was proud of the way her team handled the situation.
"It was nice that the girls didn't panic," Brower said. "When [the Orange] went on a run, they relaxed and knew there was plenty of time left."
The Quakers didn't waste any time putting up points in the second half, though, with Muller and senior attacker Ali Ryan each scoring less than three minutes in.
For the remainder of the game, there would be three lead changes and three ties, as Penn and Syracuse battled it out.
Ambrozy's goal with 2:37 left, her third of the game, gave the Quakers a 9-8 edge.
The Orange had its last shot with 56 seconds remaining, but Moore made the save and Penn hung in for the win.
Penn's 10-6 record represents its third consecutive winning season and its best record since 1982's 11-4-1 finish.
Both senior midfielder Emily Cochran and Muller passed the 100 career point mark this season.
Despite their tough schedule and winning record, the Quakers failed to win an NCAA Tournament bid. However, rivals Princeton and Cornell, which share this year's Ivy League title, will both be making tournament appearances.
Reflecting on the season, Brower noted the increased confidence of her team.
"The biggest change we had this year was that we took the field believing and expecting that we can win," she said.
She attributes much of this change to the role her seniors took on.
"We had the best leadership we've ever had," Brower said. "The seniors did a fantastic job of demanding, yet supporting, the team."
And this leaves big shoes to fill for next year's upperclassmen.
