Maryland was named the No. 1 team in the country on Monday morning. In all likelihood, the Terps will not be No. 1 come next Monday.
No. 10 Penn traveled to College Park Wednesday evening for a date with the top-ranked Terps, having not beaten them in any game since 2007 or in any regular season game since 1983.
Four goals from Anna Brandt and two goals, three assists and six draw controls from Niki Miles fueled the latest upset of a No. 1 team in Division I women’s lacrosse this season, as the Quakers made the short trip back to Philadelphia as 13-9 winners.
Penn (8-1) never trailed after Miles’ goal 53 seconds into the second quarter broke a 3-3 tie and put Penn ahead by one. Miles would then assist Brandt close to eight minutes later for a 5-3 lead, and Gracie Smith finished a Catherine Berkery feed for a 6-3 advantage.
Maryland (9-2) broke its nearly 12-plus-minute scoreless drought against the nation’s second-best scoring defense when Eloise Clevenger fed Libby May with 2:49 left in the first half, putting the Terps down 6-4 at halftime.
Natasha Gorriaran and Brandt scored the first two goals of the second half, giving Penn the cushion to withstand a 3-1 Maryland run over the next seven minutes spanning the rest of the third quarter and the early seconds of the fourth.
Up 10-8, Penn leaded again on Miles, who had one goal and one assist in a 3-0 run that iced the game for the Quakers.
Penn, which entered allowing 6.75 goals per game, allowed just 20 shots (14 on goal). Emily Sterling did her best to keep the Terps in it with 12 saves, but Penn caused nine of Maryland’s 18 turnovers to limit the offense on the other end.
