Box Score
EVANSTON, Ill. – A total team effort propelled No. 11 Penn to its first-ever win at Northwestern as the Quakers defeated the No. 16 Wildcats, 10-7.
The Quakers (8-2) picked up their second win in a row in the all-time series with the Wildcats (6-6), and snapped a six-game losing streak in Evanston on the strength of a 5-0 run to close out the game.
The Red and Blue found themselves trailing, 7-5, with 17:16 to play after Christina Esposito scored her third goal in a row for the Wildcats.
Penn would not wilt, netting the game's final five goals. Each goal came off the stick of a different – and in some cases unlikely – player.
Sophomore
Chrissy Corcoran started the rally with her third goal of the season. Entering the game for the first time, she took a
Natalie Stefan pass at the left post and scored with Penn on the man-up to climb back within one.
Under two minutes later, defender
Megan Kelly dialed up her first career goal to tie the game at 7-7 with 11:25 remaining. Picking the ball up at midfield, Kelly charged to goal and scored top corner to energize her team.
Caroline Cummings – a regular feature on Penn's attack – gave Penn the lead for good with her third goal of the game. She got to work where she is at her best, dodging around the crease and scoring while falling to the ground with 7:43 left.
Erin Barry followed with her second of the game to provide insurance with 5:46 to play, and
Sarah Barcia's third goal of the season with 3:17 remaining iced the result.
Neither team led by more than two goals until Barcia's goal, and the game was tied on five different occasions after the first whistle.
Shots were relatively even in the game, Penn holding a slim 26-25 edge.
Britt Brown was clutch for the Quakers in goal, making 13 saves – including nine in the first half. Her saves, and an 18-11 advantage for the Quakers on ground balls, helped negate a 12-7 edge for the Wildcats on the draw.
Cummings finished with three goals and an assist, adding two draw controls. Barry had two goals, picking up six ground balls along the way.
How It Happened…
•
Natalie Stefan opened the scoring with a top-corner shot 1:49 into the game. Each team had one offensive look before the Stefan goal, but turned the ball over. Penn would go down field on its second chance, and Stefan used a Rogers-Healion screen to find space and score.
• Moments after a huge Britt Brow save on Danita Stroup on the goalmouth,
Caroline Cummings and
Emily Rogers-Healion combined to give Penn a 2-0 lead. Cummings passed to ERH, then took a return feed immediately, put together a few dekes and bounced a shot in for a 2-0 Penn lead 7:55 into the game.
• The Wildcats got on the board with 16:00 left in the first half, scoring on their seventh shot of the game. Meghan Duffy scored the goal spinning and firing to the far post.
• Northwestern tied the game, 2-2, on a Nesselbush free position with 12:53 left in the first half.
• The Wildcats made it a 3-0 run – and a 3-2 game – with a Stroup goal. She finished a Fredericks pass in tight with 11:30 remaining in the first half.
• Penn ended a drought of 16:42 without a goal when Gaby Rosenzweig scored with under 0:10 on the shot clock. Her goal on the run with 5:23 left in the first half tied the game, 3-3.
• Northwestern netted another free position with 16.3 seconds left in the first half, Catie Ingrilli scoring.
• The Quakers would answer quickly, scoring with 4.0 seconds left in the first half. The Wildcats had won the ensuing draw, but
Erin Barry caused a turnover, then charged down field to goal. Her original shot was saved, but
Caroline Cummings picked up the ground ball and quickly slipped in her second of the game.
• Barry would give Penn a 5-4 lead 4:12 into the second half, scoring on a free position.
• Back-to-back goals from Christina Esposito 1:26 apart gave Northwestern a 6-5 lead with 21:15 to play. Her first goal was a free position, and she followed quickly with a run from the top of the arc.
• Esposito would make it a hat trick with another free position goal with 17:16 to play.
• The Red and Blue got one back with 13:07 to play on a
Chrissy Corcoran goal.
Erin Barry had drawn a free position while Penn was already on the man-up, and she worked the ball to
Natalie Stefan at the top of the arc. Stefan found Corcoran open at the left post for the goal.
•
Megan Kelly would tie the game for the Quakers, scoring her first career goal with 11:25 remaining. The defender took a run from midfield, and carried it straight to the goal before firing the equalizer top corner.
• Cummings completed the hat trick with 7:43 remaining, scoring while falling to the ground at the goalmouth to give Penn an 8-7 lead.
• Barry made it a two-goal lead with a nice run to goal with 5:46 left in the second half.
•
Sarah Barcia extended Penn's lead to 10-7 with her first of the game with 3:17 to play. She found herself open at the cage, and
Caroline Cummings made a nice pass which Barcia finished.
The Red and Blue are back in Ivy League action on April 8, hosting Dartmouth at 1 p.m. at Franklin Field.
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