With Penn field hockey, Vagelos Field is a place to be

I t can be a long trek to Ellen Vagelos Field.

You walk all the way to the eastern part of campus, walk past Franklin Field, past the train station, down the bridge and past Rhodes Field.

But after making the walk to the field, it is pretty easy to see why you went all that distance.

Since moving to Vagelos Field last year, field hockey has been one of Penn’s most exciting sports. The Quakers have gone 9-4 at home in the last two years following their time as one of many sports playing at Franklin Field.

And watching the Red and Blue this weekend, it is easy to see why they’ve been so successful in their new domicile.

While the field itself is well-built and there is a solid scoreboard to accompany it, the team itself puts on a display each and every game.

Take Friday’s match against Fairfield for example. There weren’t many goals — six to be exact — and there were no last minute heroics.

But there was a fast-paced offense fueling the Red and Blue. There were highlight reel saves by senior goalkeeper Allison Weisenfels to keep Penn ahead. And there was freshman attack Alexa Hoover to add the exclamation point to the game.

A year after Jasmine Cole easily took home Ivy League Rookie of the Year before transferring to Rutgers, Hoover has stepped into her place with ease. Hoover has provided six goals in just four games, including a hat trick in her first collegiate game.

“We’re definitely meshing really well together,” senior Emily Corcoran said about playing with Hoover. “We’re able to get plays going, hitting the open player, so she’s just an awesome addition to the team. She’s transitioned really well into the college game.”

It hasn’t just been Hoover’s ability to score. It has been the way she plays and moves through the field that makes her particularly exciting to watch.

“She’s dynamic,” coach Colleen Fink said. “She’s exciting to watch. People are going to come to the games to see her play. She’s creative, she’s fast, she dances out on the field.”

On Friday, Hoover danced her way past multiple defenders for a breakaway chance. On Sunday against Liberty, she assisted on the first goal before a fancy give-and-go with junior attack Elizabeth Hitti gave the freshman her third goal in two games.

And Hoover isn’t the only reason to find yourself at Vagelos Field.

The Quakers have two strong upperclassmen on attack in Hitti and Corcoran. While Hitti provided much of the offense on Sunday, Corcoran, as Penn’s leading scorer returning from last season, showed off on Friday.

The senior captain has a rocket for a shot as she firmly displayed during her two-goal performance on Friday. Her five goals on the year put her on pace to beat last year’s 13-goal effort.

All of this is to say that there is some excitement in the air whenever Penn field hockey plays at home.

And where there is excitement, the crowd will follow.

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