WASHINGTON, D.C. – The University of Pennsylvania women's lacrosse team, behind a dominant first half and a late, fatal second-half run, stormed away with a 17-6 road defeat of 19th-ranked Georgetown in the Quakers' season opener on Saturday afternoon.
Gabby Rosenzweig and Erin Barry, who were named to the Tewaaraton Award watch list this week for the third and second times, respectively, led the charge offensively, combining for 14 points. Rosenzweig scored three times and assisted on five more goals to close within just four points of the all-time scoring record in program history.
Six different Quakers scored in their double-digit drubbing of the Hoyas while Krissy Kowalski made 12 shots between the pipes.
PENN NEWS AND NOTES
*Penn avenges its loss to the Hoyas in the NCAA Tournament 10 months ago and improves to 7-2 all-time against Georgetown.
*The Quakers are now 18-3 under Head Coach Karin Corbett in season openers and undefeated in their last eight.
*Gabby Rosenzweig entered the weekend 12 points and 12 assists from matching the program records in each category. The senior drew much closer with eight total points and five assists on Saturday.
*Rosenzweig's eight points are just one shy of her career high, set against Brown during her sophomore season.
*Erin Barry's six points match a career high, a total she reached both as a freshman and sophomore.
*Penn scored 17 goals while reaching that number just twice in 2019, in wins over Harvard and Columbia.
*The Quakers' 17 goals are the most in a season opener since their 18-8 win over Drexel in 2012.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Erin Barry led the charge in the early going, scoring just 2:04 into the first half for the Quakers' season-opening tally. Penn stayed on the charge and Barry hit again, also unassisted, to double the advantage just 8:58 into the game.
Both teams went scoreless for the next 6:44, but then the Red and Blue let loose with a flurry to really put some distance between them and the Hoyas. Gabby Rosenzweig scored twice in 3:05, getting assists from freshman Niki Miles and junior Zoe Belodeau, to double the lead once more, at 4-0 with 11:13 left in the first half. Rosenzweig, who just this week was named to the Tewaaraton Award watch list, then got into the assist column, helping Elyse Decker push the lead to 5-0.
Penn eventually scored the game's first seven goals after Barry and Michael McMahon added a pair. Georgetown, the 19th-ranked team in the nation, scored for the first time after 28:18 and having already conceded seven goals. That score was the only tally the Hoyas managed in the first half and, after Barry scored for the fourth time with less than a minute on the clock, the Quakers led 8-1 at the break.
Rosenzweig assisted on Belodeau's goal to open the second half before Georgetown showed its mettle. The Hoyas scored five straight goals to close within three, at 9-6 with 15:06 to play. Penn, though, is made up of an experienced group that has been through almost everything and that group punched back with a fatal counter. Barry, who also was named to the Tewaaraton Award watch list, found Rosenzweig for Penn's 10th goal; Rosenzweig hit Caitlin Cook for a goal before McMahon and Miles combined for three goals in 1:52 to quickly balloon the advantage to 15-6 in the final five minutes.
Before the final buzzer, Barry assisted on Taylyn Stadler's first goal of the year and then Rosenzweig hit Belodeau once more for good measure to clinch a thoroughly impressive 17-6 win at No. 19 Georgetown.
UP NEXT?
Penn returns to Franklin Field for the first time in 2020 on Saturday, Feb. 22 to host Johns Hopkins at 1 p.m.
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