Nina Corcoran broke Ivy League records for season and career assists in Penn's opening-round win.
TOWSON, Md. -- For the third consecutive season, the University of Pennsylvania will play in the second round of the NCAA championship after a 17-7 win over Wagner at Towson’s Johnny Unitas Stadium on Friday.
No. 7 Penn led practically the entire way, as Wagner only tied the game on two occasions as the Quakers used a plethora of mini-runs to pull away.
The Red and Blue were the definition of efficiency in the first half, scoring eight goals on 10 shots while the Seahawks managed just three goals on 11 shots. For the game, Penn scored its 17 goals on 23 shots on goal – a shooting percentage of .739.
It was another record-setting day for senior Nina Corcoran. She scored Penn’s second goal to become Penn’s single-season points leader, eclipsing the previous record of 76 set by Ali DeLuca in 2010. She finished the day with seven points in the game, giving her 82 for 2016. Late in the game, Corcoran dished off her fourth assist of the day, giving her 125 for her career which broke a 33-year-old Ivy League standard previously held by Harvard’s Maureen Finn.
“Nina is no question one of the best players I have ever coached,” said head coach Karin Corbett. “She is so unselfish and reads her defender so well. I do believe she is one the main reasons we are here.”
Alex Condon and Catherine Dickinson finished the game with four goals each; for Condon, it marked her 10th hat trick of the season and eighth in the last nine games. Iris Williamson joined Corcoran as a three-goal scorer.
Condon has now scored 41 goals this season, moving into No. 6 all-time by a Quaker. Iris Williamson is not sitting on 99 career goals – one away from becoming the ninth Quaker to reach the 100-goal mark for her career.
Emilia Lopez-Ona had a career-high seven draw controls, helping Penn to an 18-8 edge on the draw circle. The seven draws by ELO are tied with Alison Ambrozy (vs. Duke, 5/23/08) for most in a NCAA Tournament game by a Penn player.
The Quakers picked a great time to have their most dominant game in recent memory. The Red and Blue set 2016 highs in goals (17), assists (10), points (27), free position goals (3), and draw controls (18).
The game was not only the best by a Penn squad during 2016 – it is among the best ever played by the Quakers in NCAA tournament action. The 17 goals scored are the most by a Penn team in a NCAA tournament game.
