Penn women's lacrosse battles inclement weather to down Delware

In the first real snowstorm of the year, members of Penn women’s lacrosse team were not cuddled up in bed watching Netflix, drinking hot cocoa or wishing it was a weekday like the rest of us. Instead, they were competing outside in the frigid temperatures on a snow-covered field in their first game of the season.

Despite the less than ideal conditions, the No. 14 Quakers (1-0) began their quest for their 9th straight Ivy League title on Saturday with a 9-7 victory over Delaware.

Early on, the game was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams struggling to gain their footing in the snow. However, in the second half, senior attack Tory Bensen scored three goals off of Delaware penalties to give the Quakers the lead for the remainder of play.

Benson’s incredible performance did not come as a shock to her coaches and fellow teammates.

“Tory ended last year playing really well,” coach Karin Corbett said. “It was fun to see her come back … and pick up right where she left off.”

Despite high praise for Benson, who netted a total of six goals against the Blue Hens (2-1), Corbett made note of the unusual weather-induced offensive circumstances.

“It was different than what it might look like [in better weather conditions],” she said. “Tory is a great player and a great finisher, but our offense does not work around one person.

“When she is open, she finishes, but it is really about all seven of them that are out there.”

Bensen’s ability to finish undoubtedly played a huge role in the Red and Blue's victory especially considering the miserable conditions.

“It was really slippery and hard for attackers to get their footing,” Corbett said. “You couldn’t get a rhythm on attack because you couldn’t really attack the cage, so that was hard.”

In fact, the snow-covered field posed such a problem to both teams that play was suspended temporarily in order to clear the lines.

Snow aside, the Quakers’ performance was especially impressive considering the Ivy League rule mandating a far later start date for competitive play than other college programs.

“We start later than every school, and that is hard,” Corbett said. “Delaware was coming off a high, and we didn’t come in with any prior game experience, so that is always a challenge.”

Because it was the first game of the season, the Red and Blue are looking to improve in a few key areas as the season continues — namely, in limiting turnovers and maintaining possession after draws.

The Quakers lost the turnover battle against Delaware, finishing the game with 11 — eight in the second half alone — while the Blue Hens only had 10. Additionally, despite having the advantage in the draw/control battle 12-6, the Red and Blue often struggled to maintain possession.

“Even though we own the draw/control battle, I think it is kind of misleading because we got it and ended up turning it over,” Corbett said. “We need to do a better job of protecting the draw and getting rid of the ball a little sooner.”

The team will have a chance to work on these improvements March 1 as the Quakers host Vanderbilt at Franklin Field in their home opener.

And hopefully for the Quakers, by then the snow will have melted and spring will be in the air.

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