Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/12/23
From Press Release
A historic season ended on Sunday afternoon for the No. 13 University of Pennsylvania women’s lacrosse team, pushing No. 2 Boston College to the limit in the second round of the NCAA Championship before falling, 9-7.
The Quakers conclude the 2023 season with a 14-5 record, including a perfect 7-0 in Ivy League play. They won the Ivy title for the 14th time in program history, hosted the Ivy Tournament and won for the fourth time since 2010, made their 16th appearance in the NCAA Championship, advancing to the second round for the first time since 2018.
Quaker Notemeal
*It was the first loss for Penn in over a month and a half, last falling on April 1 at No. 8 Florida (17-13), riding a nine-game winning streak entering Sunday’s matchup. All five of the Quakers’ losses this season were against nationally ranked opponents.
*Playing the 12th best scoring offense in the country, averaging nearly 15 goals per game, the Penn defense held the Eagles to just nine goals.
*Senior Kelly Van Hoesen was a big part of that success, putting together arguably her best game between the pipes. Through 60 minutes of work, she made 11 saves on a .550 save percentage, one shy of tying her career high that she set against Maryland earlier in the season. It’s her fourth game this season with double-digit saves, rounding out her year with 137.
*The backline forced Boston College into 15 turnovers, six of which were caused led by senior Grace Fujinaga with two.
*On the offensive end, sophomore Anna Brandt paced the Quakers with a game-high three goals on six shots, while adding a game-high five draw controls.
*Senior Niki Miles added two goals to extend her scoring streak to 20 games.
*Senior Kennon Moon and sophomore Bella Kehoe each scored a goal on one attempt.
*The ground ball game for Penn was led by sophomore Natasha Gorriaran, pulling in three.
*The first goal of the game for the Quakers, scored by Brandt, set a new program record for a single season, topping the 2018 mark of 261. They finish the 2023 season with 268 goals.
How It Happened
A defensive matchup saw both teams hold each other scoreless for nearly the first five minutes of the game before the Eagles found the back of the net.
Again, the scoring went silent for another six minutes until the 4:39 mark when Brandt connected on her first of three for the day to set the program record and draw the game even at 1-1.
By the end of the frame, Boston College added one more that ignited a four-goal stretch that gave it a 5-1 advantage with 6:26 left in the half. The Quakers slowed down the run when Kehoe found room past the Eagle keeper to cut the deficit to three at the half, 5-2.
Some offensive life for Penn came through in the third, outscoring the Eagles 3-2. Brandt wrapped up her hat trick, and Miles connected on her first with 4:03 left in the third to give the Quakers momentum headed to the final frame, 7-5.
Although Boston College pushed back ahead by three in the initial three minutes of the fourth, Penn didn’t scare away. A minute later, Moon rolled into the fan for her contribution to get back within two with plenty of time on the clock.
By the 6:59 mark, Miles fired up the sold-out stadium with an unassisted finish and stick slam to close the gap to one against one of the best teams in the country and 2019 national champions.
Penn won the ensuing draw, but both defenses held each other without a shot until 1:46 left when the Eagles scored on a woman-up opportunity to build enough distance to take the final decision. The Quakers won the draw again after that, but were unable to get off another shot to close the gap again.
