April 21, 2004

VILLANOVA, Pa. - The University of Pennsylvania used an impressive display of first half firepower to build a ten goal advantage and went on to a 16-4 victory over Villanova in a women's lacrosse non-league game here tonight.

The Quakers (8-7 overall, 3-3 Ivy League) dominated the action from the opening whistle. Ali Ryan scored a pair of goals in the game's first ten minutes and Alie Juras added another to give Pennsylvania a 3-0 advantage with 22:25 to go in the first half. When Chrissy Muller scored for the Quakers at the 10:01 mark of the first half it was 4-0 and to that point Villanova had only one shot.

In the final ten minutes of the first half, Penn scored six goals, including two by Katie Spofford and two from Sara Shelley. Villanova (1-14 overall, 0-5 Patriot League) got its only goal of the half when junior Amy Rocap (Vienna, VA.) scored off a free position attempt with one second left on the clock.

Rocap scored off a feed from junior Steph Haas (North Wales, Pa.) to cut the deficit to 10-2 less than four minutes into the second half. But Blair Soden responded for Penn and the Quakers scored four of the next five goals to effectively end any hopes for a Wildcat comeback.

Katie Mannix (Crofton, Md.), who along with classmates Rachel Damalouji (Huntingtown, Md.) and Lauren Ferrara (Tabernacle, N.J.) were honored prior to the game as part of Senior Night, scored a goal for Villanova in the second half. Junior Lindsey Syphard (Bel Air, Md.) picked up the final Wildcat score.

Penn outshot Villanova 37-13 on the night.

Next up for the Wildcats is a Patriot League contest this Friday evening at Lafayette.