No. 15 W. Soccer Ready to Face No. 7 UConn

This afternoon in Storrs, Conn., the two best women soccer teams in the Northeast will square off in what could be a preview of the NCAA tournament.

The No. 15 Harvard women's soccer team (11-1-1, 5-0 Ivy) takes on No. 7 UConn (12-5) in its toughest match to date this season.

"UConn will be a big test for us to see if we can meet the level of other tournament teams," co-captain Beth Zotter said.

The Crimson (11-1-1, 5-0 Ivy), however, is no stranger to upsets, having already defeated then-No. 8 BYU 1-0 at home earlier this month. Harvard also tied then-No. 13 Hartford 1-1 earlier this season.

However, there is one difference between today's matchup and earlier contests this season against higher-ranked opponents: today's game will mark the first road contest against a higher ranked opponent.

The team's success against its higher ranked opponents has the players believing that it can pull off yet another upset.

"Those games [against BYU and Hartford] definitely give us confident going into tomorrow," Zotter said. "We really know now that we can play with the top teams. We are definitely confident going in."

The experience gained in these contests may also prove crucial for a Harvard team that relies heavily on the contribution of its freshman.

"I think that the freshman will be ready for the game," Zotter said. "The BYU game was a big test, and it was two freshmen who had the goal and assist in that one."

"This game, though, will be a significant in that the freshman really haven't lost or gotten behind yet this season," Zotter said. "It will be a mental test. We might get down a goal and have to come back."

For the seniors and juniors on the team, the trip to Storrs will be the return to the sight of one of the worst losses ever experienced by Harvard. In its last game at UConn, the Crimson were routed by the Huskies 5-0. Confident in their chances this year, however, the upperclassmen are anxious to regain some respect.

"The players who were here two years ago remember that we got creamed 5-0 the last time we went down there," Zotter said. "I can't ever remember losing that bad on any team."

"It may be a bit scary to be back there, but we are confident that we can win. This is a different, stronger team than that one was," Zotter added.

The Crimson enters the game on a roll, winning its last seven games and going unbeaten in its last 10.

But the Huskies have also been hot lately. UConn has won 12 of its last 13 games, after beginning the year with four straight losses, and its single loss since then was a double-overtime 2-1 stumble against a powerful No. 6 Notre Dame team last Friday.

The Huskies boast an explosive offense attack that has outscored its opponents 46-22 so far this season. Leading the way for UConn are sophomore midfielder Mary-Frances Monroe and junior forward Jen Carlson, who have tallied 22 points apiece on the year.

"UConn's major strength is offense," Zotter said. "They have a great center midfielder in [Monroe] and they also have really good forwards."

The Huskies strength, however, may play right into the Crimson's strength, as Harvard has prided itself all season on its stellar defensive play. The Crimson has allowed just seven goals in 13 games this year, and only two over the last seven games.

"We've done very well this year against teams with strong offenses and weaker defensives," Zotter said. "We have a great defense and offense, so we think that we can get a lot of scoring opportunities."

Leading Harvard's impressive backfield is co-captain Jess Larson. The senior sweeper has been a solid anchor of the Crimson defense, continually thwarting the opposition's advances.

Freshman goalkeeper Cheryl Gunther has also been sensational on the year, leading the Ivy League in both goals against average (0.42) and save percentage (.914) in only her first year of action. Gunther--recently named Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the second time this year--will have to come up big once again against UConn.

The Crimson will look to capitalize on its solid defense to create an effective attack.

Harvard has had a host of players lead the way on the offensive end throughout the season.

Freshman forwards Joey Yenne and Beth Totman have provided the bulk of the scoring, contributing 16 and 14 points on the year, respectively. And freshman midfielders Bryce Weed and Orly Ripmaster have furthered the first-year contribution on the offensive end.

Senior midfielders Ashley Berman and Julia Blain, as well as Zotter, have been crucial to the Crimson attack as well, creating scoring opportunities all season.

Although the game does not contain any direct postseason implications since UConn is not an Ivy League opponent, the Harvard players still see it as in important match in getting ready for the NCAA tournament later this year.

"We are looking at this as the beginning of a second season," Zotter said. "Every game from this point on really means a lot to the team, and this game can be a real confidence builder, especially if we play UConn in the tournament."

Additionally, the game will give Harvard a much higher level opponent than it has faced in recent weeks, which will provide crucial big game experience as the postseason nears.

"This games matters a lot to us in terms of building our confidence in playing top teams," Zotter said. "It's good to face teams that are equal in ability to us. BYU and Hartford are the only teams that we have played that are at the level of tournament teams."