PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania field hockey team returned home Saturday to face Brown in their final Ivy League regular-season game, overcoming a 1-0 deficit to secure a 2-1 victory on Senior Day.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*The Quakers end the conference regular season with a 5-2 record and turn their eyes to next weekend's inaugural Ivy League tournament.  
 
*Senior captain Allison Kuzyk scored both goals for the Quakers, bringing her season total to 11 with four game winners.
 
*Junior Courtney Kenah secured the only assist in the contest, delivering the insert to Kuzyk on the first Penn goal.
 
*The Quakers led the game in every offensive category. They outshot the Bears, 19-10, with 10 on target. They also had nine penalty corners to the Bears' seven.  
 
*Senior goalkeeper Frederique Wollaert made five saves in 60 minutes of work, moving her closer to triple digits for the season with 87.
 
*Prior to the game, the Quakers honored the careers of their four seniors: Hayley Hayden, Lis Zandbergen, Kuzyk, and Wollaert.
 
How It Happened
Both teams' defenses held strong in the first quarter; the first shot of the game coming from Kuzyk five minutes into the contest but was saved by the Bears' goalie.
 
With four minutes left in the first period, Brown was awarded back-to-back corners, the first two of the game. As the ball was hit into play, the Penn defense immediately trapped the ball hitting it out of scoring range.
 
At the start of the second period, Brown was awarded another corner and fired a shot to the left side of the net; however, a last second diving save by Wollaert kept the game scoreless.
 
It wasn't until late in the second period that the Quakers offense came into play as they were awarded their first corner of the game. Kuzyk fired a shot that slightly missed right of the net after being deflected off a Brown defender.
 
A scoreless game was carried into the second half where the Bears got the first true opportunity roughly five minutes in. Brown lined a shot off another corner attempt but was gloved down by Wollaert for her second save of the game.
 
On the next play, the Bears beat the Quaker backline, creating a one-on-one situation with Wollaert. Doing what she does best, she made a slide save to keep it tied at zero.
 
After multiple shot attempts by the Quakers, the Bears find themselves in a numbers advantage on offense as Lexi Pellegrino snuck one in, making it a 1-0 advantage in the third frame.
 
The very next possession Penn was awarded a corner with a chance to draw the game even. Kuzyk, the team leader in goals, was sent the insert from Kenah and bolted a shot to the right side of the cage.

Q3 2:23 | Penn 1, Brown 1

KUZYK... GOAL! 10th of the year ties us up!#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/hcMdftMsHu

— Penn Field Hockey (@PennFieldHockey) October 28, 2023

 
The Penn offense ramped up as they fired shot after shot off four consecutive corners, three being deflected off the goalie and one barely missing as it hit the crossbar by Kuzyk.
 
With the Quakers keeping the pressure in the fourth, Zandbergen stole the ball and made a pass up field to Kuzyk. The senior split two defenders and sliced a shot left, scoring her second goal of the contest to give Penn the 2-1 lead with eight minutes left.

4Q 10:01 | Penn 2, Brown 1

Kuzyk shoots and SCORES! Second of the game, 11th of the year and the Quakers re-take the lead!#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/R6jYyOpXXA

— Penn Field Hockey (@PennFieldHockey) October 28, 2023

 
As the Bears' offense desperately tried to score a goal, the Quakers defended well, keeping the ball out of the circle to help secure the 2-1 victory.
 
Up Next
The Quakers are back on the road to face Delaware in their final matchup of the regular season on Sunday. Game time is set for 1 p.m., in Newark.