PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania women's lacrosse team scored early and often in its season opener on Saturday afternoon, putting together a blistering 21-1 victory at Franklin Field over La Salle.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*The Quakers had 11 different goals scorers in the game with five having multiple.
 
*Sophomore Anna Brandt and senior Niki Miles led the offensive charge with a career-high five goals.
 
*Freshman Patricia Columbia-Walsh added a five-point perfomance in her first collegiate game, finishing with two goals and three assists.
 
*Senior Kennon Moon scored a goal to go with three assists, while adding a game-high eight draw controls.
 
*Senior Izzy Rohr tied Miles with four other caused turnovers, as the Quakers totaled 16 for the afternoon.
 
*She was joined on the back line by senior Grace Fujinaga and sophomore Natasha Gorriaran with a team-high three ground balls. Penn had 18 for the game.
 
*Five players registered their first collegiate goals: Columbia-Walsh, Grace Lillis, Eden Wright, Gracie Smith, and Courtney Savage.
 
*Penn won the draw control game, 16-9, led by Moon with eight. Aly Feeley added three and Maria Themelis two more.
 
*Senior Kelly Van Hoesen tended the net for over 56 minutes, making six saves. Freshman Caitlin Noack played her first collegiate minutes, protecting for the last three minutes.
 
How It Happened
A statement was made early, as Moon secured the initial draw of the season, found Brandt who drove right down the middle of the defense to goal for the first finish of the 2023 in just 13 seconds. Over the course of the first quarter, the goals continued to stack up, eventually hitting a nine-goal lead by the buzzer. Brandt connected on the hat trick by the 9:38 mark, Miles and Moon each scored twice, and Bella Kehoe and Columbia-Walsh each found the back of the net.
 
The only change in the second quarter was the scoreboard, as the Quakers tacked on four more. Brandt scored two straight to push the 11-0 lead and running clock. Miles followed with her hat trick at the 1:40 mark, and Cumiskey put away her first of the game with two seconds left before the half.
 
A quick breather didn't change much in the restart, as Penn opened the third the way they closed the second with Cumiskey cashing in on her second goal to push the 14-0 advantage.
 
Over the course of the third, Columbia-Walsh tacked on her second of the game before she found teammate Erika Chung for her first of the season. Miles capped off the frame with her fourth of the day to give Penn a comfortable 17-0 tally headed to the final quarter.
 
Career-first goals highlighted the final 15 minutes for the Quakers, seeing Smith, Savage, Lillis, and Wright all find the back of the net to cap off the Penn scoring and a 21-0 lead.
 
The shutout was spoiled though in the closing two minutes, as the Explorers scored their lone goal at the 1:18 mark.
 

In case you missed the game, we have ALL 21 GOALS for ya right here!#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/fVrMWyraEu

— Penn Women's Lax (@PennWomensLax) February 18, 2023

 
Up Next
The Quakers hit the road for a five-game stretch, starting it up next Saturday at No. 18 Johns Hopkins. The two squads have quite a competitive history, with Penn leading the 15-game series, 8-7. First draw is set for 4 p.m., in Baltimore.