The top seed and Ivy League regular season champion University of Pennsylvania men's lacrosse team fended off a late surge from the Bears to defeat Brown in the Ivy League Tournament semifinals on Friday night, 13-12. The win pushes the Quakers into Sunday's championship game against the winner of two-seed Yale and three-seed Cornell. How It Happened A tight first quarter saw each team score three times, Brown finding the tying goal with 0:12 left in the opening period. Simon Mathias opened the scoring 1:50 into the game. Just six seconds later, Matt McShea scored off his own faceoff win to tie the game, 1-1. Brown would find the lead off a Ryan Aughavin goal 4:34 into the game. The Quakers netted the game's next two goals, Sam Handley firing home his first career postseason goal with 5:33 to play in the first period before Mitch Bartolo followed just under two minutes later with a bounce shot off a Mathias feed. Luke McCaleb's goal with 0:12 remaining in the first quarter brought the Bears level at 3-3. In the second period, Penn worked to score the first five goals of the frame. Adam Goldner scored first, taking a BJ Farrare pass on a fast break and cashing in his 47th of the season just 0:20 into the period. Mathias followed 1:05 later with his second of the game. Joe Licciardi then took a Kyveat Postell pass at the 4:00 mark and stepped into his ninth goal of the year. Midway through the second quarter, the Quakers needed all type of help to stave off a two-man down situation. With Penn already playing a man short, a second penalty gave Brown a 6v4 advantage for 0:10 seconds. A shot from Aughavin clanged off the post, followed by a second off iron by George Grell. Just after the penalties expired, Reed Junkin made a point-blank save to deny Jack Kniffin at the doorstep and keep Penn ahead by three. After the strong defensive stand, Penn went down field to take a 7-3 lead. Simon Mathias slipped a pass to Sean Lulley who found the back of the net. 1:49 later, Sam Handley danced by a pair of defender and fired home his second of the game to give Penn an 8-3 lead. After holding Brown off the scoreboard for 13:29, the Quakers ultimately conceded a goal with 1:43 left in the half as Aughavin scored his second the game to cut Penn's lead to 8-4. The Red and Blue struck twice early in the second half to extend their lead to 10-5. Barolo found the back of the net first, finishing a Mathias pass 1:37 into the third quarter. Next was Simon Mathias, completing his hat trick off an assist from co-captain Tyler Dunn 4:26 into the third quarter. The Bears would score twice over the final 4:55 of the third quarter, Aughavin first then an athletic score from McCaleb with 2:16 remaining to send the game to the fourth quarter with Penn ahead, 10-7. Dylan Gergar opened the fourth quarter with a leaping goal, going high to catch a Handley pass and score on an EMO chance just 0:48 into the fourth quarter. Just over 30 seconds later, Jack Kniffin scored for Brown as the two teams traded goals. Mathias would counter for Penn with 11:17 left in the fourth, but Brown would get two quick ones from Reed Moshyedi and Aughavin 2:51 apart to close within two goals. Handley would counter with a goal of his own for the Quakers, putting Penn ahead 13-10 with 6:32 left, and the Red and Blue fended off a late scare, with two Brown goals in the final two minutes, to win 13-12.