W. Soccer hosts Cornell

Settle it on the field. May the best man win. The better team will come out on top. These cliches are universally believed by idealistic sports fans all over the world...who forget about referees. The Penn's women's soccer team (0-1) will have the daunting task of putting Wednesday's controversial 2-1 loss to Villanova behind it when it battles Cornell (1-1) today for the Quaker's home opener. The play in question was a penalty kick that proved decisive in the 2-1 loss. The Quakers, however angered by the call, refused to scapegoat the game on the referees. "That was the most ridiculous call," senior captain and goalkeeper Debbie Goldklang said. "But I'm not making an excuse." "It wasn't a foul," Penn coach Suzette Wolf said. "But I don't blame the game on the ref." The high-scoring Big Red of Cornell are not going to care that Penn suffered a tough loss when they battle today at 7:30 on Franklin Field. Hence, the Quakers were wise to dwell on the positive from Wednesday's game. In particular, that they were able to come back from a 1-0 deficit. "We [now] have more confidence," Goldklang said. "We dominated the second half. We were able to come back." "[It was a] great game," Wolf said. "Last year, I was on the edge of my seat hoping [Villanova] wouldn't score a goal. [Wednesday], I was on the edge of my seat hoping that we would score a goal." The Quakers will have to muster all the momentum they can from Wednesday's second half if they're going to have a chance against the powerful Cornell team – a team Wolf places among the top three in the Ivy Leagues. Cornell seems to have an affinity for .500 records as they went 7-7-2 last year (4-2-1 in the Ivy League, placing third) and now currently hold a 1-1 record. Like the Quakers, the Big Red are also coming off a tough loss. After destroying St. Bonaventure 5-0, Cornell was edged by Colgate by the familiar score of 2-1. Cornell actually outshot Colgate by a 2-1 ratio. This exemplifies the notion that, in soccer, a decided underdog like Penn can win if it takes advantage of its scoring opportunities. Maybe that's why Thursday's practice had a particular emphasis on shooting. "We haven't been shooting accurately," Wolf said. "Over and wide...we have to work on more direct shooting." Penn will need to capitalize on its scoring opportunities in order to stay with Cornell. The Big Red squad coached by Randy May features excellent goaltending, an explosive offense, and last year's Ivy League Rookie of the Year, Lori Petti. Goldklang calls her simply, "a girl to look for." Last year, Penn got shellacked by Cornell (5-0) and knocked around the Ivy League in general (0-7). But, hey, this is a new year. One factor in Penn's advantage is the home field. "I think it [playing on astroturf] will be to our advantage," assistant coach Dave Masterson said. "[Cornell] plays on grass." Sophomore defender Meg Kinney agreed that the home field advantage would hold true to its name. "[The home field] is going to be crucial. We are all going to be really pumped." May the best team win.