Field Hockey falls in heartbreaking overtime loss against the University of Pennsylvania

The University of Richmond field hockey team lost 2-1 to the University of Pennsylvania in its fifth overtime game of the season Oct. 20 at Ellen Vagelos Field. 

The Spiders and the Quakers were slow to make it into the scoring circle in the first period. UPenn nabbed the first shot attempt of the game in the tenth minute of play, but UR blocked the Quakers’ effort. 

UR drew a penalty corner two minutes later, but sophomore forward Clara Larripa’s shot went too high in the cage.

The Quakers drew their own penalty corner 40 seconds later, but the Spiders didn’t allow them to get a shot attempt. 

UPenn continued its aggressive offense with a shot attempt with mere seconds left in the period, but the ball flew wide. The Quakers drew a penalty corner immediately after but were unable to capitalize. 

Junior midfielder Emma Williams attempted a goal four minutes into the second period, but it went wide. 

The Quakers answered with a goal attempt a minute and a half later, but junior redshirt goalkeeper Kristen Rake saved the shot. They had another unsuccessful goal attempt in the 24th minute of play. 

Two minutes later, the Quakers continued their string of shot attempts but were blocked by the Spiders.  

UPenn continued to force UR on defense with two shot attempts and a penalty corner in the last 90 seconds of the period. However, they were unable to score, leaving the scoreboard void of points leading into the second half. 

“We discussed that our attitude was low and that we needed to connect as a team in the second half in order to win,” sophomore forward Avery Russell said after the game. 

The Spiders did just that, coming into the third period strong with a penalty corner in the 33rd minute of play. Larripa had a goal attempt blocked immediately after. Three minutes later, the Spiders had another blocked goal attempt. 

Their efforts paid off in the 40th minute of play when Larripa scored her 12th goal of the season. 

The goal seemed to wake up the Quakers, and they had a shot attempt a minute later followed by two penalty corners, but they fell short each time.

The Spiders opened the fourth period with an unsuccessful penalty corner.  

UPenn had a shot attempt in the 56th minute of play, but it was left without a goal again. Seconds later, the Quakers took a risk by enacting an empty net, leaving their goal without its keeper in order to gain another player. 

UPenn drew two penalty corners in the final three minutes of the period but were still left without a goal for the game. 

The game seemed to be coming to a close with less than 10 seconds left in the period, but the Quakers managed to score a miraculous goal with just one second on the clock, forcing the game into overtime.

“It was really devastating,” Russell said. “It was a big shock. We had them, but at the last second they scored.” 

Overtime dragged on for six minutes before UPenn had a goal attempt followed by a penalty corner, but the attempt fell short. 

“There was definitely a lot of pressure as the goalie in the moment,” Rake said after the game.  

The Spiders held their breath in the 69th minute of play as a shot by sophomore forward Valen Luna Paratore flew through the air, but it hit the goal post. 

Less than 30 seconds later, a Quaker player bolted down the field and battled alone against three Spiders in a scramble for a goal. After a shot was blocked the first time, the player tried again, this time scoring for UPenn and giving the Quakers the win. 

“I felt bad because I wasn’t able to get back to help,” Russell, who was on the opposite end of the field during the play, said. 

This tough loss increased the Spiders’ losing streak to two games following another disappointing 7-0 loss against Saint Joseph’s University Oct. 18. 

The field hockey team returns to UR this Friday at 5 p.m. for its final home game of the regular season against fellow Atlantic 10 team, No. 13 University of Massachusetts. 

Contact lifestyle editor Abigail Finney at abigail.finney@richmond.edu.