Penn Lacrosse Falls to Harvard, Gears Up for Yale Matchup

PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania men’s lacrosse team suffered a 12-9 defeat against No. 4 Harvard on Saturday at Franklin Field, dropping their record to 3-4. The game marked the Ivy League opener for both teams, with Harvard improving to 6-0 on the season. The Quakers will continue Ivy League play next Saturday with a road game against Yale.

Key Performances for Penn

• Nate Lucchesi: Led the Quakers’ offense with two goals and one assist, totaling three points.
• Griffin Scane & Ben Beacham: Both scored twice in the contest.
• Jack Pelot: Made eight saves in goal, also contributing a turnover and a ground ball.
• Davis Provost, Jackson Maher & Grayson McClements: Each added one goal for Penn.
• Quinn Ball: Dominated at the faceoff X, winning a career-high 16 duels and securing a game-high nine ground balls.

How the Game Unfolded

Ben Beacham opened the scoring for Penn at the 13:54 mark, but Harvard quickly responded with a goal from Logan Ip just 44 seconds later. Harvard took a 4-1 lead midway through the first quarter with goals from Teddy Malone and Jack Petersen, before John Aurandt IV extended their advantage. Penn’s Griffin Scane scored with three seconds remaining in the first quarter to reduce the deficit to 5-2.

Both teams scored twice in the second period. Lucchesi and Scane found the back of the net for Penn, whereas Andrew Perry and Malone scored for Harvard, giving the Crimson a 7-4 lead at halftime.

Harvard extended their lead in the third quarter with a goal from Francisco Cortes. Penn responded with goals from Lucchesi and Provost, but Matt Barraco and Malone answered for Harvard, maintaining a 10-8 lead heading into the final quarter.

The final quarter saw only three goals scored. Aurandt IV scored twice for Harvard and Grayson McClements added a goal for Penn, ultimately sealing a 12-9 victory for the Crimson.

Looking Ahead

Penn will continue Ivy League play next Saturday, March 21, 2026, traveling to New Haven to face Yale. Faceoff is scheduled for noon at Reese Stadium.

For the latest updates on Penn men’s lacrosse, follow @PennMensLax on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, and visit PennAthletics.com.