PHILADELPHIA – Behind a career day from junior Meghan Ward, the University of Pennsylvania field hockey team earned a 3-1 victory over Yale on Saturday at Ellen Vagelos Field.
 
Ward had a hand in all three goals for the Quakers (6-6, 3-2 Ivy League), scoring two goals and adding an assist for a career-high five points.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Ward's career day extends her scoring streak to three games, finding the back of the cage against Cornell and Brown. All three games she was credited with the game-winning goal, now with four on the season, the second most in the Ivy League.
 
*Sophomore Allison Kuzyk scored the second goal of the game, her third of the season and first since Drexel back on September 10.
 
*Juniors Julia Russo and Elita van Staden were each awarded an assist in the game, both on Ward's goals. It was Russo's first assist of the season, and van Staden's third.
 
*Sophomore Sabien Paumen protected the cage for the full 60 minutes, making three saves for her sixth win of the season.
 
How It Happened
Last weekend, the Quakers only needed three minutes to put their first goal on the scoreboard. On Saturday, they only needed 35 seconds. On the left side of the circle, Russo sent a back post pass to Ward, who redirected the pass to the back of the cage.
 
Before the 10-minute mark, Penn added its second finish, this time by Kuzyk, receiving a pass by Ward through the middle of the circle and a quick shot into the left side of the cage for her third finish of the year.
 
The Bulldogs, in the final frame, scored their first and only goal of the game in the 48th minute. In the closing minutes, the Quakers answered following a penalty corner in the 58th minute. Senior Gracyn Banks faked a shot off the corner, passing the pass to the right side of the circle to van Staden. Sending a pass through the middle of the circle, van Staden was able to connect with Ward in the mix of Bulldog defenders who laid down her stick for the redirect into the cage.
 
Up Next
The Quakers carry the momentum into Sunday when they travel down I95 to No. 23 Delaware for a non-conference battle. Start time is set for 1 p.m.