Penn women’s lacrosse falls to No. 1 Northwestern in the Elite Eight
The Quakers faced an uphill battle on the Wildcats’ home turf in Evanston, Ill., as Northwestern has not lost at home since March 9, 2020.
The postseason run for Penn women’s lacrosse ended in the Elite Eight on Thursday night with a 20-7 loss to defending champion Northwestern.
The Quakers (15-5) faced an uphill battle on the Wildcats’ home turf in Evanston, Ill., as Northwestern (17-2) has not lost at home since March 9, 2020. With the victory, the Wildcats extended their home winning streak to 45 games. They advance to the Final Four to face Florida, seeking their ninth national title.
The Quakers kept it close early on, and Keeley Block got Penn on the board first. The Quakers defense forced six Northwestern turnovers in the first quarter as the teams traded goals.
But the defending champs started to create some separation in the second frame with five unanswered goals. Izzy Scane, who set the Division I record for points during Northwestern’s second-round game, padded her NCAA lead with four goals and two assists against the Quakers.
Despite the deficit, Penn didn’t give up, as Erika Chung and Gracie Smith scored back-to-back goals in the fourth quarter. This marked the furthest the Quakers have made it in the postseason since 2016.
Chung finished with a hat trick for Penn, marking her season high and her first multi-goal game since March 2. Junior Anna Brandt also tallied two goals.