University of Pennsylvania Athletics

PHILADELPHIA –  Penn field hockey used a three-goal offensive surge across the first three quarters to secure a 3-1 victory over Lehigh on Sunday afternoon in Bethlehem, Pa.
 
Victoria Manzur opened the scoring late in the first half before Maxi Aranowitz and Naomi Esterowitz added goals in the third quarter to give the Quakers a commanding 3-0 lead.
 
The Mountain Hawks broke through in the fourth quarter with a goal off a penalty corner, but the Red and Blue held firm defensively down the stretch to secure the win over their Pennsylvania opponents.
 
Quaker Notemeal
* Thomson and Aranowitz led Penn offensively, recording six shots apiece for a combined 12 shots.
 
*The Quakers outpaced Lehigh offensively, recording 16 shots on goal and 11 penalty corners compared to the Mountain Hawks' five shots and five corners.
 
*Samira Rafide made three saves in the second half to help preserve Penn's lead.
 
*Ruby de Frees denied Lehigh's lone shot in the first quarter to keep the Mountain Hawks off the scoreboard.
 
How It Happened
Penn came out with early offensive pressure, creating a breakaway opportunity five minutes into the first quarter and earning the first penalty corner of the afternoon. Lehigh denied the Quakers' initial shot, and both teams continued to trade possession in an up-and-down opening period.
 
Despite the back-and-forth play, the Red and Blue maintained the offensive edge, recording three shots to the Mountain Hawks' one and earning all three penalty corners in the first quarter. Neither side found the back of the cage, sending the game into the second period knotted at 0-0.
 
The Quakers continued to apply pressure in the second quarter, earning two early penalty corners as Lehigh's defense worked to keep Penn off the scoreboard. Mountain Hawks goalkeeper Kate Burgess made several key stops, denying Penn's on-target attempts and keeping the game scoreless.
 
Penn finally broke through with 58 seconds remaining in the half, as Manzur fired a reverse-stick shot into the cage to give the Quakers a 1-0 lead. The Red and Blue carried their advantage into halftime after outshooting Lehigh, 10-1, and adding two more penalty corners to bring their first-half total to five.
 
Rafide took over in goal to start the second half and immediately helped preserve Penn's lead, stopping Lehigh's second shot of the afternoon following the Mountain Hawks' first penalty corner of the game.
 
Penn extended its advantage with another successful penalty-corner sequence. Mandato's insert found Borensztein, who set up Aranowitz to fire home the Quakers' second goal of the afternoon.
 
The Red and Blue struck again less than 90 seconds later. Czajkowski carried the ball down the field and sent it into the circle, where Esterowitz finished the opportunity to push Penn's lead to 3-0 heading into the final quarter.
 
Lehigh looked to mount a comeback in the fourth, but Penn held the Mountain Hawks scoreless for the first 10 minutes of the period. Lehigh then pulled its goalkeeper and earned a penalty corner, converting the opportunity to cut the deficit to 3-1. The goal marked the Mountain Hawks' first in five games.
 
The Quakers responded by tightening up defensively and denying Lehigh's remaining scoring opportunities. Penn held on through the final minutes to secure the 3-1 victory.
 
Up Next
The Quakers remain on the road for Ivy League conference play as they take on the Yale Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. on Oct. 23 for their final road trip of the regular season.
 
 
For the latest on Penn field hockey, follow @PennFieldHockey on X and on Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.