The Quakers Eliminated by The Eagles 9 – 7
May 14, 2023 –
The University of Pennsylvania gave it a valiant effort. But Penn played from behind and could not quite climb the hill and lose 9 – 7 to the 3rd seeded Boston College Eagles in Newton, MA in the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championships second round. The Red and Blue end their season with a 14 – 5 record. BC advances to the quarterfinals for the seventh time. Midfielder Anna Brandt led Penn with 3 goals. Attack Niki Miles added two and set the program record for most goals in a single season scoring 63.
The game was a defensive battle as each team held their opponent to under their scoring average. Both squads get 14 goals per game. On the defensive end the Quakers give up 10 per game while the Eagles surrender 9. The teams had to hold the other as they would not meet their offensive averages.
Boston College Got the Early Lead
The Eagles went up 5 – 1 in the second quarter. The Quakers pulled to within 5 – 2 with 4:25 to play on a goal by Bella Kehoe.
Hotly Contested Second Half
Each team had 10 shots in the second half.
A score by Brandt cut the deficit to 5 – 3. Later, another goal by Brandt made it 6 – 4 midway through the third quarter. Bostin College answered, but so did Miles getting her first of the contest, and record setting goal, at the 4:03 mark. The teams entered the final fifteen minutes with BC up 7- 5. After McKenna Davis gave the Eagles a 8 – 5 lead the Quakers scored back to back on goals by Kennon Moon and Miles. One goal separated the teams with just under seven minutes to play.
Penn was fighting for the tying goal, Boston College fought for the insurance goal. The defenses stepped up as the team would trade turnovers. The Quakers appeared to come up with the ball, but Paige Lipman was whistled for a yellow card. On the player-up possession the Eagles got the dagger goal at 1:46 from Cassidy Weeks assisted by her sister Courtney Weeks.
What the Numbers Say
Both Penn and Boston College totaled 10 draw controls. BC had the edge on ground balls 15 – 10.
The Quakers turned the ball over 3 more times than the Eagles, 18 – 15. But the fourth quarter was the most costly for Penn as they had 6 in the quarter compared the 3.
Goal Keeper Kelly Van Hosen made 11 saves for the Red and Blue. Maria Themelis was held scoreless on her 6 shots, 5 of which required a save by Eagles goal keeper Shea Dolce, who totaled 8 saves.
Up Next
Next season for Penn. The team made a fantastic turnaround. From a sub .500 season the Quakers went undefeated in the Ivy League, won the conference tournament, and were ranked #13. The Red and Blue won their first round game against UConn, then gave Boston College all they could handle.
Keep this in mind, all but one player returns nest season. The expectations will be high.
Written By: Glenn Papazian
Contact: glenn@phillycollegesports.com
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