Men’s Lacrosse Falls Short Against Yale in a Thrilling 14-11 Encounter at Franklin Field
PHILADELPHIA – In a clash filled with intensity and strategic maneuvers, the University of Pennsylvania men’s lacrosse team narrowly succumbed to the Yale Bulldogs on Saturday, suffering a 14-11 defeat at the iconic Franklin Field. This tough loss brings the Quakers’ record to 4-7 overall and 1-3 in Ivy League contests, while Yale improves to 3-5 overall and 2-2 in the conference.
Notable Performances from the Quakers
The match showcased several standout players who fought valiantly, reflecting the talent and determination within the Quakers’ squad.
Griffin Scane, a junior, delivered a stunning performance, netting a career-high five goals that kept his team in the hunt throughout the match.
Senior Tynan Walsh exhibited exceptional playmaking ability, contributing one goal and four assists to generate vital offensive momentum.
Another senior, Ben Smith, shone with three goals, marking his fourth hat trick of the season.
Freshman Steve Davis stepped up at the faceoff X, winning 16 out of 27 matchups for a .592 win percentage, demonstrating his promise for the future.
- Defensively, Matthew Till was a standout, registering four caused turnovers, while Brendan Lavelle added two caused turnovers and five ground balls to bolster the Quakers’ effort.
How the Match Unfolded
The game kicked off with Yale establishing an early advantage, racing to a 3-goal lead that they would maintain for much of the contest. Ben Smith got the Quakers on the scoreboard with a critical extra-man goal with 3:04 left in the first quarter, courtesy of a feed from Walsh. However, Yale quickly countered, holding a commanding 4-1 lead by the end of the first.
In a spirited second quarter, Yale extended their lead to 5-1 early on. Yet, the Quakers capitalized on a series of Yale penalties, scoring three goals in just 1:43 to claw back into the game. Scane was pivotal during this run, netting two goals, with assistance from Walsh and Travis Smith, who contributed significantly with another goal.
However, the final minute of the half proved catastrophic for the Quakers. With Yale ahead 6-4, they struck three times in the last 58 seconds, including an unusual long-pole conversion by Hunter Bowen, pushing the Bulldogs to a commanding 9-4 lead at the half.
Penn’s struggle to catch up continued in the second half, with Scane scoring early but Yale retaliating swiftly with two goals within 2:21. Although Scane and Smith found the net mid-period, the Quakers could not significantly chip away at the deficit, leaving Yale with an 11-7 lead entering the fourth.
The Bulldogs started the final quarter with yet another goal. Patterson managed to find the back of the net for the Quakers, but an 11-minute scoring drought followed, hindering any comeback attempts. Despite the Quakers’ rally in the last moments of the game, which netted three late goals, it simply wasn’t enough to overcome that daunting Yale lead.
Looking Ahead
As the Quakers regroup and refocus, they prepare to face off against Harvard next Saturday at 1 p.m. in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a critical match as they delve deeper into Ivy League competition.
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