WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Despite leading at the half, the University of Pennsylvania field hockey team was unable to overcome a second-half surge from Monmouth as the Quakers fell, 4-2.
 
NOTES
*Gracyn Banks put the Quakers on the board with her first-career goal. Her 11 shots in today's contest are a career high.
 
*Laura Shelton and Erin Kelly provided the assist on Banks' goal. Shelton's assist was the first of her career.
 
*Madison Jiranek marked her first start of the season with a goal to put the Quakers up 2-0.
 
*Ava Rosati made six saves on the day. The senior shot stopper now has 22 saves on the year.
 
*In her first career start, Meghan Ward played all 60 minutes of today's game. Banks and Reese Vogel also stayed on the field for the entire 60 minutes.
 
*Alexa Schneck made her first appearance of the season after missing some time with an injury. Schneck's start was her 52nd career start. Penn's opening two games are the only games Schneck has not started or appeared in during her collegiate career.
 
*Penn's 16 shots and 11 corners are both season highs. Penn outshot Monmouth 8-3 in the fourth quarter.
 
*Monmouth marks the third consecutive 2018 NCAA tournament team Penn has played this year.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Monmouth came out of the gates hot to start the first period, firing three shots within the first three minutes of the game. Rosati reacted quickly to stop the first, and the Penn defense buckled down to block the following two to keep the game scoreless after one period.
 
Penn regrouped during the intermission and immediately cranked up the pressure to start the second quarter. Following a green card given to a Monmouth player 21 seconds into the quarter, the Quakers earned a corner.
 
Kelly took her position and laced the ball into the circle. Shelton stopped the ball for Banks at the top of the circle, and Banks neatly dispatched to put the Quakers on the board.
 
Penn's second-quarter press did not let up following the opening goal. Rather, the Quakers rode that momentum to force a Monmouth mistake just over a minute after the goal. Jiranek pounced on a loose ball in the circle and thumped the ball off the back of the cage to double the Quakers' advantage.
 
Following a stint of possession, the Hawks cut into Penn's lead. Monmouth's Yasmin Pratt controlled a ball in the middle of the circle and slotted the ball in by the near post. The Quakers had three more shots to close out the half but were kept out.
 
Monmouth came out into the second half on the front foot, scoring eight minutes into the period off a corner. The Hawks looked to go in front immediately following the goal with another two corners, but Rosati saved twice to keep the game tied at two.
 
Momentum then shifted towards the Quakers in the final three minutes of the third. Banks had two shots blocked following a pair of corners, and Schneck had a shot blocked as well with under a minute left in the period.
 
The Hawks would eventually take the lead early into the fourth Quarter. Pratt found space within the circle, but her shot was neatly saved by Rosati. The ball fell directly to Monmouth's Annick van Lange who scored to give Monmouth a 3-2 lead.
 
The Quakers responded well, earning a corner within a minute of the goal. Banks had a shot blocked but earned Penn another corner. Banks was found again on the delivery but sent her shot wide.
 
Penn opted to go with an empty net as the Quakers continued to pressure within the Monmouth circle. The Red and Blue earned five more corners within the space of two minutes. Banks was found on each of those corners but had each of her efforts blocked.
 
Just as one felt a goal coming for Penn, Monmouth dealt a sucker punch—scoring on the Quakers' empty net following a breakaway.
 
UP NEXT
Penn will grace Ellen Vagelos Field for the first time this season as the Quakers host cross-town rival Villanova on Sunday at noon.