PRINCETON, N.J. – Sometimes, help comes from unexpected places.
 
Minutes before opening draw of the 2018 Ivy League Tournament semifinals, Ivy League co-champion and No. 2 seed Penn found out it would be without the services of All-American midfielder Alex Condon who was unable to go due to a back injury.
 
In stepped freshman Elyse Decker…
 
All the rookie did was set a program record for goals in an Ivy League Tournament game with five scores – matching her total from all of the regular season as the Quakers jumped out to a big lead and held on for a 16-14 win over third-seeded Dartmouth.

With the win, Penn moves on to play host and top-seeded Princeton in Sunday's Ivy League Tournament championship game. The Tigers defeated Columbia in Friday night's other semifinal, 17-7. The championship game will take place at 11 a.m., and it marks the third time these two teams have met for the title.
 
Notes To Know…

• Decker's five goals surpass the four scored by Erin Brennan (2010) and Ali DeLuca (2010) for most in an Ivy League Tournament by a Penn player.
• Gabby Rosenzweig's seven points (2g, 5a) are the second-most in an ILT game by a Penn player and most since DeLuca had eight in the 2010 semifinals vs. Princeton.
• Rosenzweig and Emily Rogers-Healion each had five assists – setting a new Penn record for assists in a game in ILT play and ranking No. 2 all-time by a player in the ILT.
• 10 of Penn's goals were scored by freshman
• Penn has extended its Ivy League Tournament record for all-time wins to 10
• No Ivy League program has advanced to more ILT Championship Games than Penn (7)
• Penn is now 3-1 all-time against Dartmouth in the Ivy League Tournament.
• Rosenzweig's 74 points in 2018 rank No. 3 all-time by a Quaker.
• Emily Rogers-Healion now has 161 career points, No. 6 all-time at Penn
• Penn's 231 goals scored in 2018 are the most ever by Penn in a season, surpassing the 223 scored in 2010. 

How It Happened…
Penn jumped out to a 3-0 lead 9:24 into the game, Elyse Decker scoring twice in that span sandwiched around a Caroline Cummings goal.
 
Decker, who entered the game with five goals in 11 games during the regular season, would complete her hat trick with 8:28 remaining in the first half to give Penn an 8-2 lead.
 
The Red and Blue scored five of the game's first six goals to lead, 5-1, 13:40 into the game. Emily Rogers-Healion had a goals and two assists in that span, scoring Penn's fifth goal just 15 seconds after Gabby Rosenzweig had given Penn a 4-1 lead.
 
The Big Green scored 1:45 later to cut Penn's lead to 5-2, but Penn would hold Dartmouth off the scoreboard for the next 7:58 while building an 8-2 lead. Two of the goals came after Dartmouth yellow cards as Penn capitalized on EMO chances.
 
The Quakers would end the first half on a scoring note as Gabby Rosenzweig hit the back of the net with 0:03 left in the half following a hustle play from Emily Rogers-Healion to backup a missed shot with under 15 seconds to play.
 
The Quakers scored the first two goals of the second half to build a 12-4 lead, and a pair of Penn goals in a span of 1:19 just under 10 minutes into the second half gave Penn a 14-6 lead and all appeared under control.
 
The Big Green had other ideas, scoring eight of the game's final 10 goals to put an extreme scare into the Penn faithful. Dartmouth dominated on the draw, winning 15 of 17 in the second half and owning a 26-6 edge over the game. Kathryn Giroux owned the circle, winning 16 draws and giving Dartmouth the extra possessions needed to attempt a comeback.
 
After Katie Bourque's goal with 3:08 to play brought the Big Green within two at 16-14, Penn clamped down with a caused turnover and then the final of Mikaila Cheeseman's 11 saves to stifle Dartmouth hopes and send Penn to the title game.