Penn field hockey splits weekend slate after Senior Day win

This weekend was one of ups and downs for Penn field hockey.

The Quakers defeated Brown, 2-1, on Saturday, but fell to Rutgers, 3-0, on Sunday afternoon.

Against Brown, Penn junior Elizabeth Hitti scored the first goal of the game. Subsequently Brown sophomore Lucy Green managed to tie the score off of a penalty corner. This would, however, be the Bears’ only goal of the game.

Penn senior Alex Iqbal scored the deciding goal for Penn halfway through the first period off of a penalty corner.

While coach Colleen Fink noted that it was not their best performance, she was happy with the toughness displayed by her players. The motto of the team this year has been “True Grit,” and the Quakers more than exemplified this against Brown.

“I think that it was a tough game for us,” Fink said. “I don’t think we played our best but I think we played probably the toughest I’ve seen us play.”

“We played well in the first half, but in the second half, for whatever reason — it could be that we were concentrating more on the elements or lack of clean play — [we weren’t] as successful. But they stayed resilient.”

Overall, it is Penn’s remarkable defense that can take credit for the win, as it was able to hold off the Bears’ 19 shots, 11 of which came in the second period.

“We faced a couple challenging sets defensively, but I think we played tough,” Fink added.

One of the most crucial players of the game was senior goalkeeper Allison Weisenfels, who recorded a career high of 15 saves — nine of which occurred in the second half under the immense pressure of Brown aiming to tie the game.

“Allison Weisenfels had an amazing game in goal, so thank goodness for that. I think the biggest thing that I saw in her play was she just seemed very composed,” Fink said. “There was no panic or urgency in her play. From a defensive standpoint, that’s exactly what you want to see from a keeper.”

Despite this huge Ivy win, the Quakers were unable to keep the momentum going and lost to Rutgers on Sunday in New Brunswick, N.J.

Penn recorded three shots on goal, all of which were taken by senior Alex Iqbal. However, the Quakers were not able to convert any of their 14 total shots into a goal.

Rutgers junior Katie Champion and sophomore Rachel Yaney were responsible for the Scarlet Knights’ three goals of the game.

While Champion’s first shot was blocked by Weisenfels, she recovered and went on to score Rutgers’ first goal. Their second goal was scored by Yaney, who scored in the last 35 seconds of the half.

The second goal was also notable for the individual who supplied the assist: sophomore Jasmine Cole. After breaking out as a freshman sensation for Penn last year, Cole went on to transfer and, ultimately, contribute to defeating her old team.

Champion scored her second goal of the game early in the first half off of an assist from sophomore Alyssa Bull.

Rutgers’ strong defensive presence proved to be too much for the Quakers, as the Scarlet Knights notched their first shutout of the season. The Quakers were unable to convert any of their five penalty corners into a goal.

Despite the loss, Fink remains confident for Penn’s last regular season game against Princeton next week.

“We will bring a combination of the skill that I know this team is capable of, partnered with [our] resilience and toughness.”

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