The fall sports season is fully underway for Penn, and many teams will look to build on the momentum they established in the first few weeks of matches as they move into the beginning of Ivy League play. Here is a look at what the soccer, volleyball, and field hockey teams are up to this weekend.
Soccer
Penn women’s soccer has enjoyed a strong start to the regular season with an overall record of 5-1-2. They are currently on a three-game winning streak and are coming off a huge overtime win, 2-1 against Rice this past Sunday. They begin Ivy League play and look to build upon their strong start against Harvard (6-0-1) in Cambridge at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Senior forward Mia Shenk has been having a big year for the Quakers so far, leading the team with five goals in eight matches, including a hat trick in a 4-0 win against George Washington, the first hat trick by a Penn women’s soccer player since 2011.
Other strong performers include sophomore midfielder Lauren Teuschl, who herself has scored three goals and leads the team with five assists in eight matches, and junior midfielder Sizzy Lawton, who has scored one goal, dished out four assists, and leads the team with 25 shots taken in eight matches.
In front of the net, sophomore goalkeeper Laurence Gladu has been a strong performer, allowing only seven goals in eight matches, and maintaining a save percentage of 83.7%.
The Penn men’s soccer team has had an up-and-down start to the season, starting off non-conference play with a record of 3-2-1. The Quakers are coming off a tough 1-0 loss on the road against Rutgers (7-0-1) and look to bounce back this Saturday at Rhodes Field against Monmouth (2-2-2) at 7 p.m.
Senior forward Matt Leigh has been performing well for the Quakers this year, as he is tied for first on the team in goals and second in assists, with three apiece in six matches. Graduate student midfielder Joey Bhangdia is also tied for first on the team in goals with three in five matches.
Senior midfielder Ben Stitz has been a force in the middle, scoring two goals and dishing out five assists to lead the team in six matches played. On goal, junior Nick Christoffersen and senior Dane Jacomen have split time at keeper and, together, have allowed eight goals in six matches for a 69.2% save percentage.
Volleyball
After a tough 3-6 start to the season in non-conference play, Penn women’s volleyball looks to start Ivy League play strong against Princeton (6-2) on the road on Friday at 7:00 p.m. The Quakers are coming off a disappointing performance at the Temple University City Classic, losing to both Temple and Villanova in four sets, and they're looking to break their six-match losing streak on Friday night against the Tigers.
For the Quakers this season, it has been the Autumn Leak show: The junior outside hitter, in nine matches, has been dominant on the attack, leading the team with 158 kills and registering 53 digs and 12 blocks for good measure.
Senior opposite hitter Margaret Planek has been stout defensively, ranking second on the team with 81 kills, 57 digs, and 17 blocks. Other strong performers include junior outside hitter Madeline McGregor, who has put up 69 kills, 30 digs, and 15 blocks, and junior defensive specialist Caroline Douglas, who leads the team in digs with 131.
Field Hockey
Despite facing three top-10 teams in the first six matches, the Quakers (3-3) have kept it together during non-conference play, and they begin Ivy League play this Friday at 3 p.m. against Princeton, followed by a non-conference matchup against No. 12 Syracuse on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both games will take place at Ellen Vagelos Field.
Senior defensive midfielder and team captain Gracyn Banks is having a big year for the Quakers so far, leading the team in points with five, tied for first on the team with two goals and also dishing out one assist in six matches.
Other strong performers include sophomore forward/midfielder Allison Kuzyk and junior forward Julia Russo, who are also both tied for the team lead in goals with two each, and junior forward/midfielder Sydney Huang who has one goal and a team-leading two assists in six matches so far.
In front of goal, sophomore keeper Sabien Paumen has been solid, allowing 18 goals and registering 25 saves in six matches for a save rate of 0.581.
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