W. Soccer Faces Ivy Challenge in Stingy, Undefeated Penn

The Harvard women's soccer team badly wanted to beat Yale last week. It may be more important for their Ivy-title bid to beat Penn tomorrow.

To do so, Harvard (4-2-1, 2-0 Ivy) will have to look sharper against the Quakers (6-0-1, 0-0-1 Ivy) than it did in a lackluster 1-1 tie against the B.U. Terriers. Only an 85th minute goal by Lauren Corkery prevented a loss.

The women came out of the blocks slowly as the Terriers were the aggressors in the first 20 minutes.

"We were on such a high during the Yale game that it was difficult to get up for this game, and consequently we had emotional letdown," junior goalie Anne Browning said.

Harvard's 2-1 win over Yale avenged the seniors' only career Ivy loss, but Penn might be a tougher opponent, because it has not allowed a goal this year.

The Quakers won the ECAC championship last year and return all but one player.

Led by their junior twin fowards, Andrea and Jill Callaghan, the Quakers boast a strong and balanced offense. Andrea, a First Team All-Ivy selection last year, already has a hat trick this year.

As good as the Quaker offense has been, their defense has been better. Penn has yet to give up a goal in the first seven games. Anchoring the stifling defense is junior goalie Anne Kluetmeier, who has been responsible for the seven shutouts.

Helping her in the back line are three All Ivy League Honorable Mention Players, juniors Deane-Kocivar Norbury, senior Jackie Flood and sophomore Shannon Porter.

The Quakers enter the game with Harvard off a 2-0 win at La Salle on Tuesday. The lone blemish on the Quaker's record is a scoreless tie against Cornell last Saturday.

As tough task as beating Penn would be at full strength, things only get tougher for Harvard because it will be without its leading scorer, junior forward Gina Foster. Foster suffered a sprained ankle four minutes into the Yale game after scoring to put Harvard up 1-0 on the Bulldogs.

"It's a little improved, but the doctors told me I'd be out another two or three weeks," Foster said.

Tomorrow, she'll be watching the game from the bench, a task that she takes no joy in.

"It's very difficult to sit and feel like you can't help your team," she said. "All I can do now is encourage them and give them my support."

Harvard's offense has enough weapons to survive Foster's loss, including Ivy League Player of the Year Naomi Miller and two-time Player of the Year Emily Stauffer.

The doubts that have come up haven't been about physical ability, however.

"I think our troubles stem from mental preparation," Browning said. "Penn has a very good team, they have a good offense and they have yet to give up a goal all year. They'll be extremely fired up and confident. For us to win, we'll have to match their emotion."

Despite the disappointing result against B.U., Harvard outshot the Terriers 17-12 and led in corner kicks, 9-2.

And in the three games before that, glimpses of the Harvard juggernaut were evident, as Harvard beat Columbia, B.C. and Yale by a combined score of 5-1.