Light Blue Suffers Double-Digit Loss at Ninth-Ranked Penn

Typically, Quakers are known for their pacifism. However, the Penn lacrosse team (7-1, 3-0 Ivy) ignored that fact as they routed Columbia 13-2 (3-5, 0-3 Ivy) in Philadelphia on Saturday.

The Quakers, ranked ninth in the nation, came out strong from the start of play, shutting out the Lions with a 7-0 run in the first half. Penn was clearly the stronger offensive team, taking 24 shots in the first half to Columbia’s three. Overall, the Quakers had 41 shots, while the Lions only attempted to score nine times.

Penn was also dominant on draw controls, gaining control in six of the first eight face-offs. The Quakers continued their dominance by picking up 17 ground balls, while the Lions only grabbed eight.

Turnovers also presented a major problem for the Light Blue on Saturday. The Lions gave the ball up 16 times throughout the game.

Sophomore attacker Brittany Shannon was the first player to score for Columbia, finding the back of the net in the second half to bring her total to 18 goals on the season. Junior attacker Holly Glynn, the Lions’ leading scorer, had the only other goal for the Light Blue, bringing her season total to 24 goals.

The Quakers sit atop the Ivy League, undefeated in the conference, in part because of a fiercely offensive style of play. Penn’s style is often seen as too offensive, however—the Quakers racked up 12 fouls in the second half.

Despite the disappointing final score, Columbia goalkeeper Emma Mintz, a junior, had a successful game. She held Penn to just 13 goals on 24 shots and made 11 saves. Mintz has had an impressive season thus far, with 51 saves and a .389 save percentage on the season.

Coming off of three consecutive losses, two of them against conference opponents, the Lions will look to end their string of defeats next weekend and get back to the impressive style of play they exhibited early on in the season. They currently sit at the bottom of the league standings, just behind Dartmouth and Cornell, who are each 1-2 in the Ancient Eight.

Returning to its winning ways will not be easy for Columbia, as the Light Blue heads into a tough stretch of the season. Next weekend, the team will face Princeton at home. The Tigers are 1-0 in the conference, and are undefeated with a 7-0 overall record. They are ranked fourth in the country.