PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania field hockey team took on its fifth nationally ranked opponent on Sunday afternoon at Ellen Vagelos Field, dropping a close 2-0 battle to No. 12 Syracuse.
The Quakers (3-5) held strong against the Orange (6-2), having several opportunities to draw the score even after Syracuse went up 1-0 in the second quarter. However, a late goal in the fourth secured the road victory for the top-20 squad.
Quaker Notemeal
*Penn totaled six shots in the game, four of which came in the second half.
*Sophomore
Sabien Paumen made six saves through 60 minutes of goalkeeper duties.
*
Courtney Kenah,
Sydney Huang and
Gracyn Banks played the entire 60 minutes.
*Kenah led the team in shots with two, while Huang's one shot was the lone attempt on target.
How It Happened
The Quakers were the first to get the fire power out, sending off two shots in the seventh minute by Kenah and
Sophie Freedman, both getting blocked in the process. It was followed up with a quick transition by the Orange for their first attempt, resulting in a great first save for Paumen.
The backline for Penn held Syracuse quiet offensively through the first 21 minutes of play before the Orange struck with their first in the 22nd minute.
Entering the third quarter with a 1-0 deficit, the Quakers got earned some early energy with back-to-back penalty corners in the first two minutes of the restart. Huang, sending both in, was able to put the first corner on target off a deflection, and
Julia Russo and Banks fired off the other two shots.
In the final frame, Syracuse was handed a yellow card in the 48th minute but still maneuvered its way with the second and final goal of the game by the 52nd minute. Down the stretch, Paumen made another big save, but the Quaker offense couldn't find the back of the cage as time expired.
Up Next
The Quakers head on the road for an Ivy League tilt against No. 14 Harvard, the teams sixth game this season against a nationally ranked opponent. Start time is set for noon.
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