Penn field hockey is bouncing back.
The Quakers (2-7, 0-3 Ivy) faced No. 8 Harvard (8-1, 3-0) and Villanova (7-4, 2-1 Big East) over fall break. Despite a 4-0 loss against Harvard on Friday, the Quakers quickly recovered, defeating Villanova 3-0 on Sunday.
A slow first game heats up in the second half
The excitement in the air was palpable at Ellen Vagelos Field on Friday as the Quakers introduced their starting line-up with cheers and high fives. As the sprinklers sprayed the field to prepare for the match ahead, so too did the Quakers as they were set to face one of their toughest opponents.
The No. 8 team in the nation, Harvard, had a strong offensive showing, as the Crimson capitalized on penalty corners and a strong team dynamic throughout the first half. The Quakers, meanwhile, had a difficult time getting to the net, spending most of the first half on their own side of the field trying to defend.
Corner penalties were a major component of the game, something each team dealt with differently. Although senior goalkeeper Ruby de Frees saved two goals, Harvard took advantage of their penalty corners, using them to score two of four points in the first half.
But the Quakers were not as lucky. Despite being awarded two corners in the first half, Penn failed to convert on both attempts.
“We weren’t able to sustain longer periods of attacking possession,” coach Scott Tupper said. “When we do win the ball, sometimes we get excited, and we try and move forward. And if we don’t connect early, it means we’re just defending again.”
The Quakers sought to take more risks at the top of the second half. With a four-point deficit, Penn forced more difficult shots, increasing its offensive attacks. After coming off of only three attempts at goal in the first half, Penn was able to rally and get four shots in the third quarter alone.
However, this momentum would halt during the fourth quarter. Possessions grew to be a back-and-forth exchange between the two teams with no shots on goal.
Penn managed to enter Harvard’s goal zone in the final minute of the game, but struggled to score. With six seconds left on the clock, Harvard attempted another shot from the penalty corner, but de Frees saved the shot with a stunning full-body dive. Despite the team’s best efforts to crank up the intensity of play, Penn remained scoreless against Harvard, ending the game 4-0.
Quakers bounce back
Facing a nearby opponent in their second game of the weekend, the Quakers were met with a large and rowdy Villanova crowd at Sunday’s home game.
Compared to their showing against Harvard, the Quakers had a drastically different pace and approach to start the game. The Quakers seemed to take control right off the bat, with junior forward/midfielder Reese Czajkowski and junior forward Riley Thomson scoring two goals within the first ten minutes of the game.
“We’ve been working in practice this week to really just connect with one another,” Czajkowski said. “I think we’ve been missing that the last couple of weeks, and today that just took us so far from the very beginning of the game. We came out.”
Penn’s defense also found their stride. Although the Wildcats had four penalty corners in the first half, Penn’s defense successfully blocked each one.
“I think [the defense is working on] just really keeping a knuckles-down mentality. I think we’ve been working a lot on just bravery, especially in the circle, not fading away from the ball, and just being ready to body up and just take a shot, and just [keeping] hands on the ground, knuckles on the turf, plant your feet, and just watch the ball,” de Frees said.
With a 2-0 lead after the first quarter, the Wildcats picked up the intensity. Penn had four shot attempts and three corners while Villanova had five shot attempts and one corner. The game accelerating in pace resulted in Czajkowski receiving a green card during the second quarter.
Much of the second half was a dominant showing for the Quakers. Penn’s effective communication on the field allowed for long, sustained periods of possession. This momentum carried over to the defense, where the Quakers were able to get key takeaways that kept Villanova out of the striking circle.
With less than five minutes on the clock, Penn managed to score again. Villanova had opted to substitute their goalkeeper for an extra field player, which freed up the goal for a Quaker shot. With assists from freshman midfielder/defender Victoria Manzur and sophomore midfielder Lucy Mangat, senior forward Emma Nahon scored an empty-net goal, securing the Quakers’ dominant win.
The Quakers will face their next Ivy League opponent on Friday, Oct. 9, against Brown. As the team looks on to its potential post-season run, this game will be critical.
Despite this recent loss to Harvard, junior co-captain Maxi Aranowitz remains positive. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to take the foot off the gas,” Aranowitz said. “We still have four Ivy League games, and our goal is still to make the Ivy League tournament. We’re not giving up, and we see that every day in training, and even more in the games.”
