PHILADELPHIA – The nationally ranked University of Pennsylvania women's lacrosse team closed out non-conference action on Wednesday night, stifling Towson 20-8 at Rhodes Field.
 
#22 Penn closed out non-league play with a season-high 20 goals to shift to 8-6 overall heading into Sunday's regular-season finale, while Towson fell to 6-10.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*The Quakers scored the most goals since the 2023 season, when they topped La Salle 21-1 at Franklin Field.
 
*The offense shared in the victory as Catherine Berkery recorded seven points (5G, 2A), Patricia Columbia-Walsh six (3G, 3A), while Regan O'Brien tallied five (4G, 1A).
 
*Millie Bartlett, Avery Le, and Natasha Yajadda all scored two goals, and Emma Hrizch and Mary Sack found the back of the net to even out the scorers in the win.
 
*Defender Yajadda's pair of tallies account for the first in her collegiate career.
 
*Freshman Bartlett and defender Maggie Bankowski shared the duties in the X, with Bartlett winning six and Bankowski five draw controls.
 
*Olivia Comerford was all over the defensive side of the ball causing a field-high three turnovers.
 
*Goalkeeper Orly Sedransk worked hard in her cage, stopping five of the Tigers' shots.
 
*The Red and Blue's offense was on fire, outshooting Towson 43-17.
 
How It Happened
The game was fairly quiet to start, with the first goal in the outing not coming until the 7:39 mark from junior O'Brien. Berkery and Bartlett followed with two straight goals to extend the lead, but the Tigers cut the run in the final minute of the first to trail 3-1.
 
Both teams opened the second half by exchanging goals, with the deficit at 6-4 with 3:34 remaining in the third. The Red and Blue caught a spark in the final two minutes, netting four-straight goals, highlighted by a buzzer-beater from midfielder Bartlett to push Penn ahead 10-4 at halftime. The Quakers came out of the break with their feet still on the gas, outscoring Towson 5-2 in the third to lead 15-6 heading into the final frame of regulation.
 
Though the Tigers opened the fourth with a player-up goal from Luca DeMaio, senior Columbia-Walsh knocked in back-to-back goals to push the lead to ten to let the clock run. Towson scored once more in the battle, but it was far too late for a comeback, especially since Yajadda, Le, and Berkery all scored once more to put the game at its final tally of 20-8.
 
Up Next
The Quakers (8-6, 5-1 Ivy League) close out the regular season on Sunday, April 26, hosting Brown for a noon Senior Day showdown at Franklin Field.