Box Score
NEWARK, Del. – Career days from
Caroline Cummings on the attacking end and
Britt Brown in the cage propelled No. 11 Penn to a season-opening 9-7 win at Delaware.
Cummings set a new career high with five goals in the game, while Brown backstopped a busy defensive unit with a career-high 14 saves.
The Red and Blue never trailed in the game, but were never quite as comfortable as they may have preferred. After scoring first, Penn only found itself level with the Blue Hens twice – at 1-1 and 2-2 – but never led by more than two goals as turnovers gave Delaware numerous extra possessions.
The Quakers coughed the ball up 20 times in the game, helping Delaware to a 25-14 edge in shots. If not for the play of Brown in goal, the game very well could have turned out differently.
The senior keeper finished the game with 14 saves – including nine in the first half – and also had two clutch ground balls. Her final ground ball came with just over 2:00 to play in regulation and Delaware looking to tie the game.
Brown was also a factor in the free position game, making three saves on free position attempts and keeping the Blue Hens just 2-for-5 from the eight-meter arc.
That goal was the first of four by Cummings in the first half, joining with a pair of
Alex Condon first-half goals to give Penn a 6-5 lead at the break.
Becky Gohsler kept the Blue Hens in the game, scoring four times in the game, but she was unable to will her team over the hump.
In the second half, Cummings would eventually net her fifth of the game – the eventual game-winner – with 13:53 to play. That goal was sandwiched between a pair of first-career goals by Quakers to keep Penn in front.
Freshman
Gabby Rosenzweig netted her first career goal just 2:52 into the second half, picking up a loose ball in front of the cage and bouncing home her first score as a collegiate player.
With 1:01 to play and Penn nursing a one-goal lead, junior
Natalie Stefan added insurance with her first career goal. After appearing in 18 games as a freshman, Stefan missed all of last season with a knee injury and finished her first game since 2015 with a goal and two assists.
Five Quakers had points in the game – each finishing with at least two.
Emily Rogers-Healion finished the contest with a career-high three assists.
Notes: The five goals scored by
Caroline Cummings are the most by a Penn player since
Iris Williamson had six at Harvard on April 11, 2015 ...
Britt Brown's 14 saves are the most by a Quaker since Lucy Ferguson had 15 at No. 1 Maryland on March 18, 2015.
The Quakers are back in action next Saturday, visiting Johns Hopkins. First draw is set for 1 p.m. at Homewood Field.
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