W. Soccer Faces Penn, BYU at Harvard Invitational

After tying No. 13 Hartford 1-1 on Wednesday, the Harvard women's soccer team will have little time to rest as it hosts a surprising Penn (4-1-1, 2-0 Ivy) squad tomorrow and No. 12 Brigham Young (10-1, 0-0Mountain West) on Monday.

The two games are part of the annual Harvard Invitational, which will host four teams from October 2-4. BYU will play Boston University in the game preceding the Harvard-Penn match tomorrow.

The Crimson (4-1-1, 2-0 Ivy) extended its unbeaten streak to three games Wednesday. Freshman forward Beth Totman scored the only goal for the Crimson. The important victory not only helped the Crimson seek revenge on the Hawks, who ousted them in last year's NCAA tournament, but also provided a confidence booster for the two challenging games they will face this weekend.

"Hartford was the first ranked team we played," said senior forward Julia Blaine, who leads the Crimson in scoring with nine points. "We now know that we're able to play the best teams in the country."

Harvard won last year's match up against Penn, 2-1, but this year's Quaker team is a vastly improved one.

"Penn has been doing phenomenal," Totman said. "This is going to be the big game in the Ivy."

The Quakers are coming off a 4-0 drubbing of Temple last Wednesday. In Penn's third straight win, senior forward Andrea Callaghan scored her fourth and fifth goals of the season. Callaghan is the offensive leader of a team that has rebounded this year after suffering a 1-5-1 record in the Ivy League last season.

Goalie Katherine Hunt, anchors the Quaker defense. She posted her third straight shutout against Temple and, overall, Penn has allowed only three goals in the six games it has played this season.

"We're expecting two very tough games," Penn Coach Andy Nelson said about the Invitational. "We've had a good start but there's still a long way to go."

On October 4, The Invitational continues with Harvard facing off against BYU. Penn will play against BU in the other matchup.

BYU is ranked No. 12 in the nation and sports a four-game win streak of its own. Its 4-0 victory over Weber State last Wednesday was its third straight shutout. The Cougars are led by All-American senior forward Maren Hendershot, who has led an offense that has outscored its opponents, 39-10.

BYU's only loss came by a score of 1-2 against No. 7 USC.

If Harvard expects to win both of its games this weekend, it will need to improve its goal scoring. Despite numerous shots on net in its last four games, the Crimson has scored only four goals.

"Our shooting hasn't been the best," Blaine said. "But I think it's just a matter of time before we start putting the ball in the net."

Harvard's young season has been marked by the emergence of several freshmen, all of whom have played key roles in the Crimson's six games. Forward Joey Yenne, midfielder Bryce Weed, and Totman lead a strong first-year class that has combined for seven goals in the five games that they have played together.

The kind of unity existent among the freshmen is the kind Harvard will need from its entire team to carry it to success this weekend.

"The whole team has a unity," said Totman, "The team is getting stronger and stronger day by day."