Comizio Scores First Career Goal

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A pair of late goals lifted the Penn field hockey team to a 2-1 victory over Yale Saturday afternoon at Johnson Field. The Bulldogs' lone goal came from freshman back Kiwi Comizio, her first career goal.

Penn (6-7, 2-3 Ivy League) outshot Yale 11-5 in a scoreless first half, with senior goalkeeper Heather Schlesier making seven of her nine saves for the game in the first.

The second half was more evenly played, with shots 7-7, and a penalty corner with less than 29 minutes to play gave Yale the chance to take the lead. While Penn goalie Allison Weisenfels was able to stop the initial shot by sophomore midfielder Kelsey Nolan, she was still down on the ground when Comizio swooped in on the left side and poked the rebound over Weisenfels' pads at the 41:30 mark.

The lead listed slightly more than eight minutes, though, as Penn attacker Alexa Hoover -- who entered the day tied for the Ivy League lead in goals -- drove in from the midfield on a one-on-one and spun off her defender to knock in her 12th goal of the year, tying the score 1-1 at 49:40.

Five minutes later, Penn attacker/midfielder Emily Corcoran got a pass in transition from back/midfielder Alex Iqbal. Corcoran stopped just inside the circle and fired a perfectly placed shot into the top far corner for a 2-1 lead, a lead the Quakers would not relinquish.

Yale (2-12, 0-5 Ivy League) has now lost its last two Ivy games by a combined total of three goals.

"These last two Ivy games, we have played our best and given ourselves more opportunities to score and win the game," said Pam Stuper, Yale's Caroline Ruth Thompson '02 Head Coach of Field Hockey.

The play of Comizio and her freshmen classmates, forwards Katie Smith and Lily Smith, provided a bright spot for the Bulldogs.

"Kiwi had an outstanding game," said Stuper. "She was really good defensively, and distributed the ball better. And the twins, Katie and Lily, were just fantastic. They are two we can count on to outwork their opponents every time, and to support the play."

Yale hosts No. 13 Albany Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

Report by Sam Rubin '95 (sam.rubin@yale.edu), Yale Sports Publicity