In the two games leading up to Saturday's showdown at Dartmouth, the Penn women's field hockey team had finally overcome the slow starts that had plagued its season.
But within two minutes, Dartmouth scored and stopped Penn's progress. The Big Green added another before halftime en route to a 3-2 win.
Indeed, Penn came out flat-footed and uncomfortable - a far cry from the team that recently beat Harvard and hung with a strong Villanova team.
"We didn't play as a team," coach Val Cloud said.
Dartmouth's Ashley Hines scored from a long way out after the break to put her team up, 3-0, and the game looked over. But the Quakers reorganized and began to create scoring opportunities. In the second half, Penn's attack was much improved and it outshot Dartmouth, 11-6, forcing six saves.
"After halftime, I talked to the defense and you could see a huge change in the momentum of the game," said senior goalkeeper Alanna Butera said, who made 11 saves to keep the game within reach.
The Quakers finally managed to score with about 10 minutes remaining after senior midfielder Margaretha Ehret converted off a feed from Abigail Egan.
The team continued its late response when freshman Britney van Valkenburg scored her first goal for the Red and Blue late on. Yet the game ended soon after, and that final consolation was all Penn could muster.
"In the second half we had lots of opportunities to shoot and tie the game," Ehret said. Converting them, she added, "is a technicality we can work on."
But, despite some promising signs late on in the game, the Quakers were left to rue the same mistakes that have spoiled their season so far.
"Overall, I don't think we were totally focused," Ehret said. "We made mental mistakes we could have controlled."
With No. 1 Maryland on tap for next weekend, the Quakers know that they can at least relax.
"It's one of those games, just go out there and have fun and see what you can do," Cloud said of the Red and Blue's matchup with the Terps.
"They're not expected to win by any means - not think so much, just go out there and have fun."
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