PHILADELPHIA – The No. 22 University of Pennsylvania women's lacrosse team throttled past No. 13 Yale on Saturday afternoon at Franklin Field, 16-6, in front of a crowd of alumnae to remain the only unblemished Ivy League record.
 
The Quakers improve to 7-4 for the year and 3-0 in conference play, while the Bulldogs go to 9-3 and 3-1 in the league.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Junior Maria Themelis and sophomore Gracie Smith led the offense with four goals each, while sophomore Anna Brandt added a hat trick and an assist for four points.
 
*Themelis' hot stick has found the back of the net for four goals three times in the last five games, while scoring in the last nine contests.
 
*Smith had a career day, setting a new career high with four goals, only needing five shots for the day.
 
*Brandt's hat trick extends her scoring streak to 18 games, while she joins senior Niki Miles as the only two Quakers to score in all 11 games so far this season.
 
*Miles kept her season-long effort alive, adding two goals and an assist for three points. She continues to lead the team this year with 39 points off 32 goals and seven assists. Brandt is tied with Miles with 32 finishes.
 
*The Penn defense had a stellar performance, holding the league-leading offense and top scorer in the Ivy League in check for the day. Yale, with 159 goals this season to lead the conference, was held to just six goals when its offense averages 13.25 per game.
 
*A big part of that success was senior Izzy Rohr, causing a career- and game-high five turnovers to go with a tied game-high four ground balls with senior Kennon Moon.
 
*The Quakers forced the Bulldogs into 18 turnovers for the day, 11 which were caused. Senior Grace Fujinaga and sophomore Natasha Gorriaran joined Rohr in that category with two each.
 
*Senior Kelly Van Hoesen continued her successful season in the net, tending for the full 60 minutes for seven saves.
 
How It Happened
The first quarter was a tight matchup, going back-and-forth in scoring with Yale up to 3-3 with 5:24 left in the frame. Brandt scored the Quakers first goal, while Themelis and Miles chipped in the other two as the lead pushed to a one-goal advantage for Penn three times. However, the Bulldogs answered on back-to-back finishes in the closing five minutes of the quarter to carry their only lead of the game into the next quarter, 4-3.
 
The break proved useful for the Quakers on both sides of the field. Out of the break, the backline for Penn started a long-standing scoring drought for Yale that lasted over 37 minutes into the fourth quarter. In the meantime, the Quakers scored 11 straight goals through the second and third frames to take a commanding 10-goal lead that initiated the running clock.

2Q 10:01 | #22 Penn 4, #13 Yale 4

Kennon Moon with the great pass over the top and Maria Themelis does the rest!#ILPL x #FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/VUnBZU90gf

— Penn Women's Lax (@PennWomensLax) April 8, 2023

 
Much of that scoring came in the second quarter as the Quakers found the back of the net seven times to carry a 10-4 advantage into the half. In that stretch, Themelis and Smith each scored three goals while Miles added her second of the day.

2Q 3:50 | #22 Penn 9, #13 Yale 4

Gracie Smith!!!! Make it a hat trick!!#ILPL x #FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/oQzBkY60dd

— Penn Women's Lax (@PennWomensLax) April 8, 2023

 
Penn picked up right where it left off on the restart, adding three more goals to push the 14-4 lead. Brandt scored twice in the frame, while Julia Chai and Kaitlyn Cumiskey each added their contributions.
 
For the backline through those two quarters, Penn only allowed six shots by the Bulldogs including two saves for Van Hoesen.
 
Some life from the Yale offense in the fourth saw the Bulldogs score twice, but the Quakers answered back with two more from the sticks of Smith and Caitlin Cook to put an exclamation point on the game.
 
Up Next
The Quakers continue their three-game homestand next Saturday, hosting Cornell for Senior Day and our Morgan's Message game. The first 200 fans through the gate will also receive a Penn koozie. Senior Day will begin prior to the noon first draw.