PHILADELPHIA – After a hot start to the game, a pair of second-half goals by Villanova stunned the University of Pennsylvania field hockey team as the Quakers fought to a 3-2 loss.
 
NOTES
*Madison Jiranek continued to find success in the circle, scoring both of Penn's goals on the day. This is Jiranek's first multi-goal game and her three goals on the season are a career high.
 
*Erin Quinn's nifty cutback pass which led to Jiranek's goal is her first assist of the season.
 
*Erin Kelly provided an assist on Jiranek's second goal of the game. Kelly now has two assists on the season. Gracyn Banks had the final pass on the goal; it is her first career assist.
 
*Banks played all 60 minutes for the Quakers today. She has played every minute in each of Penn's four games this year.
 
*The Quakers outshot Villanova 20-13 and had 10 shots on goal to the Wildcats' seven.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Penn enjoyed a quick start to today's game. With less than four minutes gone, Alexa Schneck—who pulled strings in the midfield throughout the day—passed to Quinn in the middle of the circle. Quinn utilized some fancy stickwork to beat her defender and found Jiranek at the far post. Jiranek collected the ball and slapped it into the back of the cage to give Penn an early lead.
 
Penn continued to possess the ball within the Villanova half and within minutes of the opening goal, fired the ball into the back of the cage gain. The referees conferred, then called off the goal due to the ball nicking a Penn foot.
 
Shortly after the call, Villanova quickly broke the other way and found Megan Vermeil ahead of play inside the circle. Vermeil rounded Ava Rosati and just as the Quakers' contingent had subsided its jubilation of a potential second goal, Villanova had equalized. Both sides would create a fair number of chances in the second quarter, but nothing significant as the sides entered halftime locked at 1-1.
 
Just like its start to the game, Penn came out hot to start the third quarter. Playing deep within the Villanova half, the Quakers earned a corner under four minutes into the third quarter. Kelly inbounded the ball to Banks who drove a low pass to an unmarked Jiranek at the far post. Jiranek tipped the ball into the netting for her second goal of the game to give the Quakers a 2-1 lead.
 
The Wildcats quickly responded. Three minutes after Penn's go-ahead goal, Villanova earned a corner. Vermeil fired a shot from the top of the circle, but Rosati quickly responded to make a save. However, the ball fell right to a Villanova stick and Lydia Sydnor converted to level the game at 2-2.
 
Villanova rode its momentum following the goal to earn another corner three minutes later. Riley Dolan collected the ball at the top of the circle and ripped a shot into the back of the cage to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game.
 
Penn bucked down in search of an equalizer, outshooting Villanova 5-2 in the final 15 minutes. Despite an all-out effort, the Quakers couldn't create the game-tying goal.
 
UP NEXT
The Quakers continue the season against another Big 5 opponent as Penn makes its way to the suburbs to face No. 14 Saint Joseph's.