Penn 2013 Homecoming: hour by hour

With women’s and men’s soccer, field hockey and football trying to hang onto their postseason hopes and men’s hoops tipping off for the first time all season, our staff followed every high and low point of Homecoming weekend, minute-by-minute.

Friday, Nov. 8

3:39 p.m., 36th and Walnut. Some Penn Band members strike up a tune outside of the Penn Bookstore. Jerome Allen crosses the street, donned in a Penn hat and a sleeveless vest. He shakes a few hands as the band continues to play.

6:11 p.m., Rhodes Field. As women’s soccer tries to keep hopes of an NCAA berth alive, its chances take a negative turn as Princeton’s Tyler Lussi nets one from 12 yards out.

6:43 p.m. Erin Mikolai gets past Princeton’s keeper and feeds Clara Midgley, who puts it away in front. Women’s soccer ties it up.

7:31 p.m. Mikolai strikes again with a great volley that puts the Quakers in front. Penn up, 2-1.

7:33 p.m. Kathryn Barth breaks it open as she finds the net, putting Penn in front, 3-1.

8:00 p.m. Princeton scores as the game ends and the refs count the goal. Penn wins, 3-2, but that last-second goal may hurt its RPI going forward.

8:09 p.m. “[Coach Darren Ambrose] always tells us to take a chance,” Barth said. “And I did take a chance … and it was definitely nice to have some kind of security in the last 20 minutes.”

Saturday, Nov. 9

11:25 a.m., Vagelos Field. Formal dedication of Ellen Vagelos Field, over 40 former players and coaches recognized. You can feel the history.

11:58 a.m., Franklin Field. The Penn Band’s PA guy asks the crowd to rise for Penn’s performance of the alma mater. The Princeton fans rise before he finishes speaking, expecting him to sign off by introducing Penn’s performance of the national anthem instead of the alma mater.

11:58 a.m., Vagelos Field. Penn’s six seniors are recognized before what is essentially an Ivy League title game. Winner goes to the NCAAs. Princeton is last year’s champion.

12:10 p.m., College Green. Men’s soccer coach Rudy Fuller struts down Locust, wearing a stylish suit and scarf combo. His team takes the field in less than four hours.

12:12 p.m., Vagelos Field. Princeton scores off of a corner.

12:23 p.m. Elizabeth Hitti ties it up. One all.

12:28 p.m. A Tiger gets a pass near midfield, drives into the circle and backhands a shot past Carly Sokach’s right. 2-1 Tigers.

12:31 p.m. Princeton scores off of a corner. The Quakers’ hopes slip through their fingers.

12:40 p.m., Franklin Field. Sam Chwarzynski tips Princeton quarterback Quinn Epperly’s pass and intercepts it. He takes it 61 yards for the touchdown, and Penn goes up, 9-0. The stadium is rocking. One of the few highlights for Penn football this season.

12:53 p.m. Kyle Wilcox finishes off a Penn drive and the Quakers are up, 16-0. The party is on for Penn fans on Homecoming Weekend.

1:04 p.m. Epperly finds his tight end in the left corner of the end zone. Princeton is clawing back. Tigers go for two and they get it.

1:10 p.m. Ryan Becker fumbles while trying to hand the ball off. Penn’s second turnover of the day.

1:25 p.m. Billy Ragone throws it directly into Elijah Mitchell’s stomach. The Princeton defensive lineman trucks it 59 yards for the score, and the Tigers suddenly enjoy a 17-16 lead.

1:32 p.m. Ragone finds wide receiver Ryan Mitchell wide open. Mitchell walks it in for the score, putting the Quakers back on top just before half.

1:38 p.m., Vagelos Field. Penn falls to Princeton, 5-1. After hanging close early, the Quakers were outplayed by a better team.

2:16 p.m., Franklin Field. Epperly runs it in for the score after a long drive. 24-23 Princeton.

2:19 p.m. Another Penn fumble.

2:34 p.m. Another Ragone interception.

2:39 p.m. Princeton touchdown. 31-23, Princeton.

2:51 p.m. 31-26.

3:01 p.m. 38-26.

3:16 p.m. Ragone interception. His third. Game over. Outright Ivy title hunt over.

3:48 p.m. “I thought our guys had a really good effort,” Penn coach Al Bagnoli says following the game. “I knew we’re not going to be able to make too many mistakes.”

4:35 p.m., Rhodes Field. With Penn men’s soccer needing a win to keep its NCAA hopes alive, Princeton scores in the 27th minute to go up, 1-0.

4:52 p.m. Matt Poplawski scores to tie it up for Penn.

5:05 p.m., The Palestra. Temple wins the tip in front of a sold-out Palestra.

5:15 p.m., 33rd Street. A man and his daughter walk outside of Franklin Field. The man stops a student and asks, “Where is the Palestra?”

5:23 p.m., The Palestra. Tony Hicks has scored 10 of Penn’s first 16 points as Penn keeps it close.

5:31 p.m., Rhodes Field. Forrest Clancy feeds it to Sam Hayward who scores to give Penn the lead, 2-1.

5:55 p.m., The Palestra. Halftime. Temple 42, Penn 35.

6:07 p.m., Rhodes Field. Full time. Penn 2, Princeton 1. The Quakers now essentially have an Ivy League Championship game next weekend against Harvard.

6:15 p.m. “Our halftime talk was all about, ‘It’s game 16. You’re overthinking it,’” Fuller said. “‘Your body knows, your mind knows where to go. Just relax and enjoy it and show your personality.’ And we were a different team in the second half.”

6:28 p.m., The Palestra. Penn calls a timeout after a Will Cummings three extends Temple’s lead to 15. It’s gotten out of hand.

6:29 p.m. Out of the timeout, Allen has his team play zone defense. Temple goes 2-for-12 over the next seven minutes.

6:43 p.m. Freshman Dylan Jones throws down the biggest dunk of the night, and the Palestra is literally shaking. 65-52, Temple.

6:45 p.m. After hitting a three on Penn’s last possession, Miles Cartwright hits a perimeter shot to close the lead.

6:52 p.m. Hicks’ drive cuts Temple’s lead to six. The gym erupts.

6:53 p.m. Cartwright screams, “We ain’t going nowhere!”

7:00 p.m. Hicks with back-to-back threes. Tie game, 71-71. Penn fans going out of their minds. The loudest the Palestra has been in a long time.

7:03 p.m. Cartwright turns it over. Temple up two.

7:05 p.m. Penn, down three late after foul shots, calls a timeout.

7:06 p.m. Hicks runs through screens and gets the ball, but Temple switches, so hands are all around Hicks as he puts up a three. It doesn’t fall.

7:07 p.m. Final score: Temple 78, Penn 73.

7:16 p.m. “We know we can’t guard the ball,” Allen says. “We can’t rebound.” He’s no longer smiling.

SEE ALSO

Princeton ruins Penn football’s Homecoming, wins 38-26

Penn basketball runs out of gas late against Temple, 78-73

Penn men’s soccer keeps Ivy title hopes alive, tops Princeton

Penn women’s soccer gives itself a chance, tops Princeton, 3-2

Penn field hockey falls to Princeton, loses Ivy title

Penn volleyball comes back against Harvard in thrilling fashion

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