The Daily Pennsylvanian went behind enemy lines with former longtime Penn and current Temple coach Fran Dunphy to break down the Quakers' season opener against the Owls at the Palestra Saturday.
Daily Pennsylvanian: How big of a deal is it to start this season off at the Palestra again?
Fran Dunphy: We did it a couple of years ago as well. Any time we have a chance to play at the Palestra we're excited by it. It's a great place. I obviously lived there for a number of years, I value it and its place in Philadelphia basketball lore. But it's the start of another season against a really good team, a program I have great respect for. I have unbelievable apprehension, but I'm excited to get the season started.
DP: What was your takeaway from the Penn-Temple matchup last season? They gave you a scare for a lot of the game.
FD: I watched a lot of that film last night and I understood and remembered that they were up nine in the second half. Then we just sort of figured out a way to win the game. I don't know that we played better than Penn. I don't know that we've played better than Penn any one of the last four years Jerome has been coaching. We've found a way to win, somehow, some way. They haven't been experienced as they are now so I'm concerned. I hope we are ready to go because I'm sure they will be.
DP: What has it been like having so much upheaval on your roster?
FD: Good question. I think we're still an unknown product. We're going to have to have games like this on Saturday to let us know where we are. We still need to be much more solid defensively than we've been in the two challenges we've had in terms of the scrimmage.
DP: Do you feel like the offensive distribution is going to have to be more spread out because you have so many unknown quantities at this point?
FD: For sure. That's exactly how we've talked about it. Hopefully in some games we'll have five guys in double figures. In order to spread it around, we're going to have to be a really good basketball team in every aspect of the game.
DP: To go back to Saturday's matchup, did anything else stand out to you while you watched the tape on Penn last night, anything else that scares you at this point about Penn?
FD: I thought their balance and depth are what struck me. They're balanced inside and out, and I think they've got a number of bodies that they're going to throw at us on Saturday. That's the big concern. They run a really good offense. We have a tough time guarding them, as evidenced by their high shooting percentage [against us] last year.
On this day in 1916, field hockey became the second women's sport to exist at Penn (tennis was the first).
Women first joined Penn campus classrooms in 1876. Slowly, year by year, co-eds gained more privileges at Penn. In 1880 Mary Alice Bennett, M.D. and Mary Thorn Lewis were the first two women to earn degrees. However, women were not allowed into undergraduate programs until 1894 when the Biology department opened its doors.
The College Courses for Teachers was founded in 1906 and led to an increased female presence in undergraduate campus life. But this progression was slow-moving and no critical mass was present to lobby for women’s sports.
In 1920, the administration and growing female population demonstrated a firm commitment to women’s athletics, but the results were lacking.
In response, they organized classes at the West Branch Y.M.C.A. where the women traveled to 52nd and Sansom to practice basketball. Later that year, the university hired Margaret Majer to teach two hours of electives for women who wanted to participate in physical education. In her three years at Penn, she found and developed women’s teams in gymnastics, softball, swimming and tennis.
As the years went on, Penn’s devotion to women’s athletics only grew. Today, with 15 women’s programs and a real chance at the Ivy title in field hockey, we see the significance of this day and the persistence for equality nearly a century ago.
Penn appears to have landed a versatile athlete in Antonio Woods, a quarterback and guard from Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati, OH.
Summit coach Mike Brown confirmed to cincinnati.com today that Woods verbally committed to Penn after receiving 25-30 total scholarship offers between football and basketball. Brown also said that he wasn't sure which sport Woods will actually sign with, and that Penn hadn't specified which position it had recruited Woods for in football.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Woods has thrown for 1300 yards and 21 touchdowns and rushed for 1126 yards and 17 touchdowns for Summit this season.
Woods received his first basketball offer from Miami (OH) in January and was listed on Maxpreps's "Class of 2014 100 to Watch" for high school basketball recruiting. Also holding a spot on the Ohio Basketball AAU team, Woods reportedly picked up a basketball offer from St. Joe's in July.
A speedy, pass-first point guard who led his high school team to the Division III state title in basketball in 2012, Woods is a solid on-the-ball defender who could reportedly work on his jump shot. On offense, though, Woods is both a controlled point man and a blow-by artist in driving to the hoop.
Woods had received several offers for both football and basketball, getting offers as either a quarterback or athlete from Indiana, Northwestern, Cincinnati, Akron, Illinois, Toledo, and Bowling Green. West Virginia offered him as a defensive back. Woods also indicated in April that Northwestern would be on his short list.
Here's a video of Antonio Woods appearing to run the point and use his long arms well defensively at the Adidas All In Classic. Interestingly, here's a video from March in which Woods excludes Penn in a list of teams who have extended offers to him and doesn't mention his potential to play basketball at the next level.
Mike Auger is not alone anymore.
According to The Recruit Scoop, 2014 guard Antonio Woods of Summit Country Day in Ohio has committed to Penn.
Woods plays point guard in high school and is described as a player who can both shoot and drive the ball to the basket. The Recruit Scoop's Alex Kline tells the DP that Woods is a good athlete for the Ivy League.
Furthermore, Woods is also a solid football player, but it is unclear whether he would play football as well for the Red and Blue when he comes to campus in 2014.
More to come later ...
Penn men's soccer was stunned in double overtime by Brown on Saturday, giving up a goal in the 105th minute to lose 2-1. Staff Writer Daniel Rich gives you the Good, the Bad and the Ugly from Penn's loss:
The Good: Penn's offensive performance
Penn completely outplayed Brown for most of the match, outshooting the Bears 15-3 in the second half and overtime. Junior midfielder Duke Lacroix continued his offensive success with his seventh goal of the season Saturday night. Lacroix entered the game tied for most points in the Ivy League and second in the conference in goals scored. The team has scored a goal in four straight matches.
The Bad: Long-range goals
Penn allowed two goals from outside the 18-yard box against Brown. Granted, the shots scored by brown’s Daniel Taylor and Voltaire Escalona were well-placed, well-stricken attempts, but the Penn defense was not able to put anybody in front of the deep shots. The Quakers will need to find a way to defend deep attempts before the upcoming matches with Princeton and Harvard.
The Ugly: Calendar Enthusiasm
The Quakers were just one day away from a complete calendar year between losses in the Ivy League. The team lost on November 3, 2012, to Princeton, and a win against Brown on Saturday would have marked one full rotation of the Earth around the Sun between Penn men’s soccer defeats in Ivy League play. For those tracking such outlandish statistics, the loss came as a record-book junkie’s disappointment.
It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. Let's take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of Penn football's sloppy loss to Brown.
NOT ACTUALLY UGLY AT ALL: Max Kurucar
You know things are going wrong when the only player that receives praise is your punter. Pressed into duty far more often than he ever wanted, Kurucar did a stellar job of pinning the Bears deep all day. He averaged 42.7 yards per punt and pinned Brown inside of its own 20-yard line twice. It's hard to ask for much more from your special teams.
SUBSTANTIALLY UGLY: Penn's offensive line
Well, that was a disaster. With quarterback Billy Ragone out for the second week in a row and Ryan Becker starting, Penn's offensive front needed to do two things: Establish a power running game and give Becker a chance to establish an intermediate passing game. It did neither. Penn averaged 2.74 yards per carry on 31 attempts, and Becker was running for his life all day, getting sacked four times and getting hit or hurried on seemingly every play.
HERE'S THE REALLY UGLY PART: Pretty much everything else
There is no statistic that makes Penn look good in this game. Brown ran all over the Quakers all day, piling up 291 yards on the ground and 501 yards of total offense. The Quakers still haven't scored a point in Providence since 2009. Kyle Wilcox went down with an injury and his status is unclear, according to coach Al Bagnoli after the game. Even when Becker had time to throw, his passes were off the mark, with three ending up in the hands of the Bears. Princeton is far stronger than Brown. If the Quakers don't want to get their collective doors blown off on Homecoming, they have a LOT of work to do.
Good afternoon football fans! It's a beautiful sunny afternoon for some football in Providence, where the Quakers will try to stay on the inside track to win the Ivy title! Today's game might be broadcast on national TV (Fox College Sports), but you and I both know that it's far better to join myself and Senior Sports Editor Mike Tony to follow the action on our liveblog:
With Penn women's soccer facing Brown on Saturday and Princeton a week later, there is little room for error as Penn tries to compete for the Ivy title. Our women's soccer beats debate whether Penn still has a chance at the conference crown.
Senior Sports Editor Mike Tony: Unfortunately for the Quakers, they blew their chance at a share of the Ivy crown way back on Sept. 27 when they lost at Harvard, 2-1. The Crimson’s Margaret Purce, Karly Zlatic, Elizabeth Weisman and Marie Margolius hold the top four slots individually in points per game and have led the team to 19 goals in just five Ivy contests, easily the best mark in the conference. With that kind of offensive firepower, Harvard’s one-game lead in league play should definitely hold up against its final two Ivy opponents, Dartmouth and Columbia. I don’t see the Big Green stealing one on the road at Harvard, and I definitely don’t see the Lions picking up their first Ivy win of the season against Harvard in both teams’ season finale.
It’s really not much different than when Penn went 14-2-1 in 2011 and still lost the Ivy title to Harvard because the Crimson handed them their sole league loss. History will repeat itself in these next two weeks.
Staff Writer Todd Costa: After salvaging an emotional game against Yale on Saturday with a 1-1 tie on a penalty kick in the waning seconds of regulation, the Quakers must refocus if they hope to have a small chance of winning the Ivy League title.
After the tie, Penn finds itself tied for second place with Brown at 3-1-1 in conference play behind the dominant Crimson, which sits at 5-0-0. Penn will therefore need to take care of business with its own schedule and get a ton of help from Harvard in order to have a chance of taking the top spot at the end of the season.
If the team can keep this spirit over the next few games, it will make for an interesting race to the finish for the Ivy League title, though the Quakers will need a minor miracle to finish in the top spot.
Senior Staff Writer Kenny Kasper: Put simply, no. It's difficult to even conjure up a metaphor for how improbable it would be for Harvard to lose consecutive games to Dartmouth and Columbia. Clearly, the Big Green are the more potent challenger, but they have struggled mightily on the road, which pretty much rules out an upset in Boston. Even if Dartmouth pulled off the upset, Harvard would have to give away sole possession of the Ivy title with a tie to Columbia, a squad that has yet to register a win in conference play. Like Princeton last season, the Crimson have been in a class of their own this year. The parity just doesn't exist in the conference this season for a squad with one loss and one tie to walk away with a share of the league championship.
Senior Staff Writer Sushaan Modi: Penn is unbeaten since Sept. 27. It’s officially been a month, and believe it or not, they’re farther from an Ivy title than they have been all season. I must agree with Mike and Todd that the Quakers may not have a league title in sight. That’s a shame considering how well they have played all season, but that’s what happens in a competitive league.
It sucks.
But it also may be to their benefit.
Let me explain. Penn is ranked No. 51 in NCAA Women’s Soccer RPI, and with a 64-team NCAA tournament, has a good shot at an at-large bid. With two games to pad its resume, nothing less than two wins will do. A victory on the road against No. 71 Brown would boost the Quakers’ postseason resume. It’s not every season that the Ivy League has four teams in the top 100, and Penn’s great season makes a strong case for postseason play.
They may not have a chance at the Ivy League title, but they still have a lot to play for.
This weekend, the Ivy League-leading Penn men's soccer team (6-7-1, 3-0-1 Ivy) aims to keep its undefeated conference record alive against Brown (5-6-3, 1-1-2). We got to talk to Bears coach Patrick Laughlin to get an idea of what to expect when his squad tussles with the Quakers on Saturday.
Daily Pennsylvanian: What have you learned in the past four years coaching at Brown?
Patrick Laughlin: When I came here in 2009 to be an assistant coach at Brown, I knew about the Ivy League from competing against teams in the league when I was a person outside the league. But I’ve learned a lot about how important athletics are to the people in this league and what a great league the Ivy League is and especially men’s soccer, it's outstanding and really competitive.
DP: How would you say your previous jobs impacted how you coach at Brown (Laughlin has experience coaching at Maine and Dean)?
PL: I think all experiences help guide you going forward and give you a chance to learn and change as a coach, all of the different places that I’ve worked have made me the coach that I am today. The good experiences and the bad experiences and the things that have been positive and the things that have been negative have all really shaped me as a coach and put me in a place where I can work at an incredible institution like Brown University.
DP: How is the Ivy League different from other leagues?
PL: The Ivy League is very different with no postseason tournament and I think there’s a lot of the athletes in the Ivy League [that] know each other and they compete against each other over four years and there aren’t a lot of transfers that come in or go out of the Ivy League, so you end up competing against a lot of people for multiple years and you have relationships with them off the field and on the field and its an incredible league in that on any weekend, anything can happen.
DP: In talking about the unpredictability and how close all the teams are, how do you account for all the significant shifts year to year, because [being] on top of the league one year really doesn’t mean that you are favored to win the next year?
PL: I think that, in soccer especially, there are moments in games that define those games and if you are on the right side of those moments, then all of a sudden, you are in a place to win the league and I think all the coaches in the league are all striving to be on the right side of those moments. A lot of times, you don’t have control over that. But you know, because of that and because there are just seven games, it’s really an intense situation.
DP: With things changing so quickly and three games left, do you see a surprise coming?
PL: Oh yeah. I think the league isn’t done twisting yet. There are still a few more twists to come and I think this weekend, you know we’ve had some weekends in the league this year where all four games went to overtime you know, and when everything is so tight almost every game is a one-goal game and I think there will be more twists and the league table as it stands today will not look like that at the end of the year.
Daily Pennsylvanian: What is your biggest strength as a team?
Batie-Smoose: Our biggest strength is our offense and our ability to spread it around. We’re not a predictable team because we have numerous hitters that have been effective this year.
DP: You’re 7-11 on the season, and 3-5 in Ivy play. Any reflections?
MBS: We’ve had moments of some really great volleyball, and we’ve had some moments where we definitely feel we fell short. We’ve competed and come really close, but sometimes it’s the little things. You can see we’ve had numerous five-set matches, which shows that we’re competing and the differences in our win/losses come down to like ... three points in a lot of the games' matches. We know we’re capable - it’s just about finishing.
DP: Your team has already competed in eight five-set matches. What accounts for so many close games?
MBS: I think we are competing, and we are talented. We’re just young. And with youth comes a lot of mistakes. I’ve never had a season where I’ve had this many five-setters. It shows we are competitive, and a few less errors would make our record a little bit different. Sometimes we have five freshmen on the floor. We’ve gotta learn to compete at the next level.
DP: Two games currently separate second and seventh place in the Ivy League. Why is it so close this year?
MBS: That’s what’s fun about it. Besides Yale, from top to bottom it’s a very competitive conference. You have to plan and prepare for everyone. That’s what keeps the records so close, anything can happen any night. Like any sport, defense is the key to winning, and the Ivy League is heavily defense-oriented. We are way better at defense this year. We are third in the conference at digs per set and that’s great because last year we were last. It’s fun, and competitive every week.
DP: What are you expecting against Penn and Princeton this weekend?
MBS: Last time we played Penn, it came down to two errors on our part right at the end that lost the game for us. We match up very well against them and it will always be a battle. It’s always a huge rivalry between us for some unknown reason, so I think this weekend will be a lot of fun. We are coming off a win on the road, which we have had generally a hard time with, so I think that’s positive for our team. I think Princeton is a much better team at home, so we have to be prepared for that – they play much better than on the road. It’ll be a challenging weekend, but we feel we have the opportunity to do the little things and come out on top.
DP: What Penn players is your coaching staff looking out for?
MBS: Penn is kind of like our lineup this year. Due to injuries and other things there hasn’t been a set lineup and that’s been the case for us to. So we don’t have a particular player in mind. One of the people we had a hard time with last time – the right side hitter – must be injured or something but she’s not currently playing. We struggled against her last time. They also have a libero that digs a lot of balls. So our overall strategy is more about defending their hitters, regardless of who is hitting it.
DP: What players have performed the strongest for you this season?
MBS: Natasha Rowland [Ivy leader in digs] has had a huge year. She’s a junior libero for us, and last year she didn’t even have that full role. This year, she took charge of that spot and no one has been able to touch it. Last season the girl from Penn [Dani Shepherd] was first in the Ivy League and Defensive Player of the Year and now she’s sitting below Natasha. It’s amazing. She’s been kind of that stable person to consistently bring defense and a calm demeanor to the games when we need her. She’s been very vocal and a leader on the team.
Breanna Wong [second in kills in Ivy play] is a sophomore this year. She played well last year and so we had high expectations for her coming into this season. She wasn’t getting the ball much on the right, so we moved her to the left, and she’s been amazing for us down the stretch. She’s very competitive and confident in tight situations. Give her the ball and she will … terminate it.
Rachel D'Epagnier [Ivy leader in blocks per set] is a huge impact for our team. As a middle she can hit the ball. If we can get her going she’s going to score for us. Defense has been her focus this year, and she helps those in the back through her presence on the front. Teams have to structure what they’re gonna do around Rachel, and that helps us.
Alyssa Phelps [Ivy leader in assists per set] For a freshman to come into any league, especially as a freshman setter, that’s one of the hardest positions to come into. You won’t see many. She’s done an amazing job, she’s a very steady player, and no matter the stress level or where we’re at with points - it’s a huge reason we compete down the stretch, whether we win or lose. She always wants to come in and do extra reps – whatever it takes to be better.
DP: Is anyone catching Yale?
MBS: You know, right now, you play the matches because there is a possibility. But at this point in the season they’ve only lost a couple sets, let alone games. I just think that right now they are in the position where everyone is beating up on each other and it’s going to be hard to catch up with the amount of games we have left. I definitely think they’re beatable, but it’s just a given that we’d have to be a full team with everyone healthy, playing very well. It’s still possible, and I think some teams will give them a little bit of a challenge.
- Ike Onyeador
Penn men's basketball will be getting seven televised games this season.
The Quakers will feature in four games on NBC Sports Network, including its home game against Princeton on Jan. 11 that happens to fall during winter break. Apart from another home game against Brown on Feb. 28, all of the Quakers' other televised contests are away from the Palestra, including its only Big 5 matchup slated for TV - Fox Sports 1 - at Villanova on Dec. 4. Penn's full slate of televised games this upcoming season after the jump.
Penn's televised games for 2013-14
Friday, Nov. 22 at Iowa (7 p.m.) . Big Ten Network
Wednesday, Dec. 4 at Villanova (8 p.m.) . Fox Sports 1
Sunday, Dec. 29 at Rider (noon) . Comcast Network
Thursday, Jan. 2 at George Mason (7:30 p.m.) . NBC Sports Network
Saturday, Jan. 11 vs. Princeton (6 p.m.) . NBC Sports Network
Saturday, Feb. 1 at Harvard (9 p.m.) . NBC Sports Network
Friday, Feb. 28 vs. Brown (7:30 p.m.) . NBC Sports Network
Fresh off a victory at the American College Cricket Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships on Oct. 14, the Penn Cricket Club is one of Penn’s top — and most unheralded — club sports. We sat down with two of the Quakers’ elite players to discuss the team’s recent success.
Daily Pennsylvanian: I was wondering if you could go into detail about the tournaments you’ve had success in recently.
Bowler Adithya Nagaraja: Obviously we did win the Mid-Atlantic Regional tournament. We also played in the Ivy League Championships, which was held like, two weeks previous to that. And we won that as well.
Captain Subash Poudel: That was the first Ivy League Championship, I mean, it was the inaugural Ivy League Championship, and we won that. And that was a pretty sweet victory given that the week before that, we had lost a game there against Harvard … but we finally played them, beat them, and that was a really good victory for all of us.
DP: What’s the level of competition like and what’s the level of interest [in cricket] at the other Ivy League Schools?
AN: I mean, there’s definitely interest, and in recent years it’s started to pick up. Dartmouth also has a club and they joined American College Cricket recently as well.
SP: I think almost all the Ivy schools play, and I mean, even in the United States in general, the sport is growing really big. Because at Nationals [held] every year in March, almost 30-40 colleges come to that, and there are eight to 10 regionals happening every year. So that’s a pretty big number of regionals and nationals … which gives us good competition at the end of the day. It’s always fun to play against a better team.
DP: Now in terms of recruiting, how do you guys work towards building up a talent base at Penn?
AN: Right now it’s mostly word of mouth. A lot of people sign up during the activities fair every year, but a lot of it is through word of mouth and through contacts that we had previously.
SP: And this year we’re doing good, so hopefully we get more interest next year, because every year some other people graduate. Ours is always a young team, but if you look at some other teams that really play a lot of alumni, our team is more undergraduate-based.
DP: Now, how often do you guys practice and actually have match competition?
AN: We usually practice once or twice a week.
DP: At Vagelos [Field]?
SP: Vagelos, Franklin [Field], Penn Park…
AN: Wherever PennRec puts us.
DP: And then tournaments, it’s just like … a couple a year?
SP: Every semester we have Regionals … during the spring semester, which is kind of big for us, we have Nationals. During the fall semester, when the weather is still good, we try to make some trips, just like [when] we went to Harvard to play a game there, and we visit nearby clubs … so we generally try to fix a game every week or every other week.
DP: So how would you like to see the cricket club grow at Penn in the future?
AN: Definitely see if we can get more people involved, that would be a plus. And maybe to get a second team involved in all of our tournaments as well, to get like, a development squad, that would be awesome … what we want to see happening later on is people who have no idea how to play cricket … we want to set up a coaching program so they can learn to play the game as well.
The Ivy League preseason media poll has been released, and the pundits predict a second-place finish for Penn men's basketball. Cause for celebration (or at least optimism), right?
Perhaps not.
Using the just-released preseason rankings of advanced statistics maven Ken Pomeroy, college hoops blog Big Apple Buckets simulated this year's Ancient Eight campaign 10,000 times.
Well, they don't look too pretty for Penn.
Pomeroy has the Red and Blue ranked 240th in the country in his rankings (Harvard leads the way at 51st), and the Quakers perform like a 240th-ranked team in the simulations.
Penn's results in the simulation average out to a 6th place finish in the Ivy League, with the Quakers taking sole possession of the crown just .3% of the time.
Of course, no advanced metric is perfect. But it's always fun to see how advanced statistics predict the season will turn out.
And in this case, the gap between the pundits and the computers is staggering.
In an article on CBSsports.com listing 25 players that are ready to have breakout seasons, Penn sophomore Darien Nelson-Henry made the cut.
This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who watches DNH's progression during the Ivy slate last year. In his 13 conference games, he put up eight points per game while leading the Ivy League in field goal percentage, making 54 percent of his shots.
The only possible roadblock DNH may hit this year is an adjustment period in learning to work with fellow big man, senior Fran Dougherty. But the Ivy coaches that Jeff Borzello spoke with all thought that DNH was set to have a big season, and who am I to argue?
THE GOOD - Carly Sokach
Impressive would be an understatement for Carly Sokach’s performance in goal against Yale on Saturday afternoon. The junior goalkeeper – who reached the 100 save mark against Yale – posted 15 saves against the Bulldogs and registered her fourth shutout of the year – her second against an Ivy opponent. Sokach did everything in her power to deny the Bulldogs from getting on the board, swiping and kicking the ball away multiple times, and making several clutch diving saves. The Quakers have her to thank for their critical conference victory over Yale.
THE BAD - Lack of chances for Penn’s top scorers
Freshman Jasmine Cole and junior Emily Corcoran, the top two goal scorers in the Ivy League this year, combined for just one shot against the Bulldogs Saturday. Cole, who is usually very active in Penn’s offense, barely touched the ball in the first half, and was unable to capitalize on several second half chances*. Corcoran, who makes her living posting and maneuvering at the top of the circle, found it difficult to receive and control the ball where she usually does.
*Cole does get hustle points for pressuring Yale goalie Heather Schlesier on a loose ball and forcing her to send the ball out of bounds, which created a big Penn penalty corner at the end of the first overtime.
THE UGLY - Shot disadvantage & failed corners
Penn was outshot by the Bulldogs 27-14 – that’s basically doubled up. That discrepancy is a rarity for the Red and Blue squad this year, and can’t continue if the Quakers want to win out in Ivy League play. The Quakers also failed to convert on 14 penalty corners. The Yale defense certainly deserves credit, but there was some clear lack of execution on corners for the Quakers, and this team should be expected to convert on them more frequently.
- by Seamus Powers
In a change of pace for the Red and Blue, on Saturday morning at the Palestra, it was the Red … vs. the Blue.
The annual Red and Blue scrimmage for Penn women’s basketball took place on Saturday with fans getting their first glimpse of the 2013-14 Quakers.
The Red team blew out the Blue squad, defeating them by 20 points.
During the game, the Quakers showed off a group of five freshmen for the first time, although first-year forward Sade Gibbons was one of two players who did not play in the scrimmage (the other was sophomore guard Keiera Ray).
Freshman center Sydney Stipanovich was a significant contributor for the Red squad (which wore white pinnies), scoring 10 points in the first half while consistently hitting mid-range jumpers.
On one sequence in the second half, Stipanovich blocked a shot on one end before finishing with a layup on a fast break at the other end, displaying her abilities in just her first game.
“She’s been good all preseason. She’s been good in practice,” coach Mike McLaughlin said. “She is going to play a huge role obviously as you saw today.
“She can shoot the ball from the perimeter, she can score the ball around the rim. She is very unselfish. I’m really happy where she has progressed right now.”
While the freshmen were making their Red and Blue debut, others were making a long-awaited return to the court. The scrimmage saw the return of senior point guard Meghan McCullough, who missing all but three games last season due to a torn ACL.
The senior guard provided some solid defense in the scrimmage, as she picked up multiple while also running the point admirably by dishing out multiple assists.
“Meghan has been great. You can’t even tell she had an ACL injury,” McLaughlin said. “Same energy, same level of professional play. She just makes the right play at the right time.
“Of all the kids I’ve seen come back from an ACL injury, she really hasn’t missed a beat.”
The star offensively in the game was junior forward Katy Allen, who paced the Red squad with 15 points while displaying a strong post presence.
Meanwhile, two guards – freshman Melanie Lockett and junior Renee Busch – led the offensive attack for the Blue team, scoring a combined 18 points.
However, senior captain Alyssa Baron struggled offensively, ultimately tallying more fouls than points in the short scrimmage. Despite her performance in the scrimmage, Baron will still be an important part of the Quakers’ 13-14 season as she begins her second year as captain.
“I think she realizes that she has some help with Sydney inside and a little more depth in the post position,” McLaughlin said. “I think she’ll fill right in. When we start here in two weeks, I think she’ll look to score the ball a little bit more.”
While the respective teams were coached by assistant coaches Lauren Laukitis and Chris Day, McLaughlin’s presence was seen on both sidelines, calling out plays and helping make substitutions.
On both sides, the Quakers switched between multiple defenses, primarily showing man-to-man defense along with a 2-3 zone.
“We don’t have a whole lot in yet, so we need to get a better understanding of what we want,” McLaughlin said. “Some of the freshmen, as usual, take a little bit of time in developing into what we want to do and how we want to do it.
“In about two weeks, we have to put a few more things in and we’re going to have to have all 15 players capable of running it.”
THE GOOD – Penn’s rock solid defense
Penn’s defense rocked the house once again by applying force all over the field and making big plays at the right time. Penn’s defensive efforts, including coverage teams on kickoffs/punts, racked up an impressive three forced fumbles with two fumble recoveries and two interceptions over the course of the day. The defense consistently pressured sophomore Yale quarterback Morgan Roberts, forcing him out of the pocket multiple times, pushing him to make quick throws, run at uncomfortable times, or just give up on the play. Once again, the defense shined bright in a game that was relatively sloppy at its outset, and with careful consideration of the plays called by head coach Al Bagnoli and decisions made in critical situations, it’s clear that the Quakers trust their rock-solid defense.
THE BAD – Coming out of the gates slowly
Penn’s offense picked up quickly after the first quarter. However, the outset of this game was plagued with uncharacteristically soft offensive line play, penalties and lack of energy from the offense. It was a slow start. It’s not the worst problem to have but it may spell doom for games later in the season, especially against Princeton and Harvard. Penn has to avoid these slow starts and put the dagger in early against the bigger Ivy threats.
THE UGLY – Turnovers, Turnovers, Turnovers
This game was all about turnovers. The two teams had a combined six fumbles and Yale also contributed two interceptions. Not only did Penn commit three fumbles but they lost all three as well. Ball security was an issue for junior tailback Spencer Kulcsar, who didn’t make much an appearance after his fumble in the first quarter. With a game riddled with this many errors, it’s hard to say whether it was a sloppy offensive effort or if the defenses were playing an outstanding takeaway game. Either way, it was just plain ugly.
It's Separation Saturday in the Ivy League, as the Quakers take on the Bulldogs in an Ivy tilt that will go far in determining both squads' title hopes. Quarterback Billy Ragone's status for today's game is still up in the air, and it will be interesting to see how the Red and Blue respond with their captain potentially out of commission. Join Sports Editors Ian Wenik and Steven Tydings as they give you the action:
Welcome to the unofficial start to Penn men's basketball season as the team plays in front of Palestra fans in the annual Red & Blue Scrimmage. Here to cover the game is Associate Sports Editor Riley Steele.
It doesn't get much easier than a 43-point victory. And that is exactly what Penn sprint football got on Senior Night. Staff writer Colin Henderson gives you the good, the bad & the ugly:
The Good: Penn’s Senior Night Performance
In front of a strong crowd of family and friends, Penn was able to celebrate senior night in style with a 72-29 victory over rival Princeton on the last game at Franklin Field for Penn’s seniors. Several seniors made notable contributions in the win, including wide receivers Andrew Donald, Freddy Ordonez and Michael Bass. The win also clinched the Ivy League title for the Quakers.
The Bad: Princeton’s Tackling
Although Princeton fought hard throughout the game, the Tigers simply did not have the manpower to stop Penn’s explosive offense. As the game went on the Princeton defense became worn down, Penn seemed to be running through Princeton defenders as if they weren’t even there. Running back Mike Beamish especially stood out with his physical, downhill running style.
The Ugly: Princeton’s Injuries
Princeton went into the game severely outnumbered, fielding an active roster of only 21 players. As the game entered the second half, the Tigers were simply being pounded without any opportunity for rest or recovery. It seemed like a Princeton player was down on just about every play towards the end of the game. Eventually, the game had to be called in the middle of the fourth for the safety of the Princeton squad.
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