W. Soccer opens at Villanova

and MICHAEL HASDAY Have you ever wanted a second chance at something, but knew you would never get one? Today the Penn women's soccer team gets that coveted second chance as it travels to Villanova in its season premiere. "Walking off the field [after the 1-0 loss last season] I felt embarrassed," senior captain and goalkeeper Debbie Goldklang said. "It was one of our most winnable games." That loss last year to the Wildcats was indeed a tough one, so the Quakers will be looking for revenge this afternoon. According to the players, the keys to today's game are to work hard together against Villanova's tough offense and to push the ball upfield. "We have to attack the goal," Penn coach Suzette Wolf said. "We have been working on finishing in the 'final third.' " That's coach-speak for getting shots on goal. The Quakers have also had some game experience in pressuring the goal. Though they lost a scrimmage last week to NAIA school Georgian Court, they showed significant improvement. "We were in their end the whole game," Wolf said. "We've had a great week in practice trying to penetrate and get shots on goal." The Quakers are looking to improve upon last season's eight goals. Most see the first game of the season as pivotal. "It sets the mentality for the season," freshman goalkeeper Erin Heffernan said. "This game is important for building confidence," junior defender Debbie Greene said. "Since it's a young team, a lot of us haven't played together. It's very important for the team to see how we can operate as a unit." And this Penn unit has not had a lot of time to gel. The starting lineup for today's game has only one upperclassman, Goldklang. The rest of the squad consists of six freshmen and four sophomores. Goldklang keeps the game in perspective, noting that though the Quakers won their first game last season, the team still had a tough year. "Although the game is important, we still have to learn how to play with each other," Goldklang said. But don't underestimate the Quakers just because they're young. The team has been working hard to improve on last year's trying 3-12 season. And though every game will be a challenge for Penn, non-Ivy opponent Villanova will be a big test. "The Ivy League is tough," sophomore midfielder Heike Krippendorff said. "But the non-conference teams have better athletes. They are stronger and faster, so their play is quicker and more aggressive. Our youth is going to make us strong – maybe not this year, but in the future." Much is expected of the freshmen Quakers, who will have to make a quick adjustment from high school to college play. They will be helped by the large amount of playing time they will receive and the team's core of a few upperclassmen and "veteran sophomores." "I expect everyone to contribute to the team's success," assistant coach Dave Masterson said. "The team you're playing against doesn't care if you're freshmen or seniors when they're scoring goals against you." And Villanova will be coming into their home field fired up from a victory over Temple last week, so the Quakers have their work cut out for them. Even though this game will be played away from the familiar astroturf of Franklin Field, the Quakers do not foresee any difficulty adjusting to grass. "We've been been practicing on grass [for two weeks]," Goldklang said. "We're ready for whatever." "Whoever wants to win more will," Greene said. "It's a question of desire." Though the young team may have enough desire, the Quakers will still have to overcome their lack of experience and a long list of injuries to key players. "We've had a lot of injuries in the preseason, including a lot of the freshmen," sophomore midfielder Dana Czuczka said. "But almost everyone's back in top shape." Czuczka herself will be sitting out this week with an aggravated knee injury. Joining her on the Quakers bench are sophomore forward Amaryllis Seabrooks and freshman Ann Davies, among others. But despite missing players, the Quakers remain confident. "We've been playing injured and fatigued," Wolf said. "But they're all going to be hot tomorrow. The desire's there. The maturity is still building." "Everyone's hungry," Masterson said. "There are a lot of girls with equal ability and they're all fighting for playing time." For the freshmen, this will be their first chance to show what they're made of. But for the sophomores and Goldklang, this will be their rare second chance.

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