The field hockey team (6-8, 2-2 Ivy) fell just short against Penn (5-6, 2-2 Ivy) in a 3-2 defeat Saturday afternoon at Goldberger Family Field. The Bears faced a 3-0 fourth quarter deficit before narrowing the Quakers’ lead to one goal, but Bruno left itself too little time to find the tying goal and complete the comeback.
The Bears trailed for the entirety of the game after giving up two goals in the first five minutes. Both teams went scoreless through the second and third quarters before the Quakers extended their lead to 3-0 at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
Bruno did not back down without a fight, despite the deep hole it had to dig itself out of. As the fourth quarter ensued, Brown got on the board with 8:39 remaining. Cameron Kinsella ’24 scored off a pass from Stacey Lukasheva ’25 to notch the Bears’ first goal of the afternoon.
Goalkeeper Jodie Brine ’23 exited the game with 3:12 to help Brown with a power play in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. The Quakers were awarded two penalty corners shortly after, but the Bears’ defense stood firm even without a goalkeeper. Defensive saves from Danielle van Rootselaar ’22 and Julia Hitti ’24.5 kept the Bears in the game without letting up another goal.
With 16 seconds left in the game, Brown was awarded a penalty stroke, taken by van Rootselaar, who converted to extend her point-scoring streak to nine games in a row. The senior also added a game high 11 shots out of the Bears’ 18 total shots. Despite the loss, Bruno outshot the Quakers 18-15 with an 11-10 edge in shots on net.
Head Coach Jill Reeve explained how despite the loss, she was proud of the team’s effort and perseverance in the face of an early deficit. “I was really proud of that effort,” Reeve said. “Our rhythm was off in the first quarter, which gave Penn opportunities they capitalized on. We brought some fight in the end and that uncovered our capabilities, which I think is great for them to know that if they’re behind they can come back.”
Brine had a similar reaction toward the team’s performance, emphasizing her disappointment in the slow start. “Obviously we started out slow in the first five minutes which is a shame because our defensive unit is way better than what we showed in the first quarter,” Brine said. “We got it back together and really fought back, but (we) really wish we had those extra five minutes back at the end of the game.”
The Bears had a quick turnaround Sunday as they headed across town to play Providence College at Lennon Field. Bruno lost 2-0 in the non-conference match, dropping its overall record 6-8.
Ana Claire Piacentini ’23 reflected on the physical toll of the back to back games. “We gotta ice bathe and keep our bodies healthy,” Piacentini said. “This will help us play our game moving forward, keeping the same energy we come out to play with from the start. Just gotta regroup and know our game.”
Brown will head on the road for its next game against Cornell. The Ivy League matchup is scheduled to begin this Saturday at 11 a.m. in Ithaca, New York and will stream on ESPN+.
