PHILADELPHIA – Playing at home for the first time in 671 days, the University of Pennsylvania field hockey team defeated visiting Drexel, 5-3, on Friday afternoon at Ellen Vagelos Field behind a pair of goals from senior tri-captain
Gracyn Banks.
The Quakers (1-2) bounced back from a pair of setbacks against top-three teams last weekend to hand the Dragons (1-4) their second straight road loss.
Sophomore
Allison Kuzyk, senior
Ashley Wetzel and junior
Julia Russo also found the back of the cage in the victory, while sophomore goalkeeper
Sabien Paumen picked up her first collegiate victory as she made eight saves.
Quaker Notemeal
*Kuzyk's first-quarter goal was her second of the season for the Quakers.
*Banks scored her first marker of the season and the second of her career late in the first quarter, blasting a shot home off a penalty corner. She added her second, which was also off a corner, in the third quarter to pick up her first career multi-goal game.
*Wetzel's goal was the first of her collegiate career.
*Russo's fourth-quarter goal was her first of the season and the second of her career.
*
Sophie Freedman picked up the assist on Kuzyk's goal and it was her first point as a member of the Red and Blue.
*Both
Sydney Huang and
Maya Geller had the assists on the second goal of the game for the Quakers. Huang has now registered a point in all three games for Penn in 2021 (1G/2A), while Geller's helper was the first of her young career.
*
Madison Woods and
Lily Clarkson had the assists on Banks' second tally of the contest.
*Olivia Kenney picked up an assist on Russo's goal.
*Paumen's eight saves were a new career best.
*Penn had five penalty corners, while the Dragons took 11.
*The five goals were the most for the Quakes since the Red and Blue scored six against Brown in October of 2017.
How It Happened
Penn jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first quarter following goals from Kuzyk and Banks.
Just under four minutes into the contest, Kuzyk scored for the second time in three games to put the Red and Blue on the board on a scramble in front of the cage.
Banks added to the Quaker lead on a blast off a penalty corner. From just inside the circle, Banks took a feed from Geller and finished in the lower left corner of the cage.
Following the Banks goal, neither team was able to break through for the remainder of the first half as the Quakers took a 2-0 advantage into the break.
Five minutes into the third quarter, the Penn lead swelled to three courtesy of a goal from
Ashley Wetzel.
Wetzel scored on a great individual effort, beating the Dragon defender marking her and chipping the ball from the right side of the circle past the sliding Drexel goalkeeper.
Penn held a three-goal lead for the next six and half minutes before Drexel got on the board. With 3:30 left in the third quarter, the Dragons scored off a penalty corner to cut the deficit to two at 3-1.
Just under two minutes after Thewessen Puk scored for Drexel, Banks answered with her second of the game.
The Quakers earned a penalty corner and Banks cashed in once again.
Lily Clarkson started the play with a pass to
Madison Woods who bumped the ball over to Banks and her shot deflected off a Drexel players stick and into the top right-hand corner of the cage.
The second of the game from Banks capped the scoring the third quarter with Penn taking a 4-1 lead into the final 15 minutes.
Ten minutes into the fourth quarter,
Julia Russo stretched the Penn lead to four at 5-1 with her first goal of the year.
There was a scramble in front of the Drexel cage and Oliva Kenny was able to play the ball to Russo who took care of the rest.
Over the final minutes of play, the Dragons would tack on two goals, both of which came off penalty corner, but it was not enough as Penn escaped with the two-goal win.
Up Next
Penn closes out a weekend of city action on Sunday, as the Quakers travel to Conshohocken to square off with Villanova at noon.
#FightOnPenn
