W. Soccer ties Bucknell 1-1 without Goldklang

Imagine the Chicago Bulls without Michael Jordan, the Philadelphia Flyers without Eric Lindros, or the Baltimore Orioles without Cal Ripken, Jr. That's the situation the Penn women's soccer team was facing in its game at Bucknell last night. Senior captain and goalie Debbie Goldklang missed the first game of her collegiate career, fighting off a high fever while her teammates traveled to Lewisburg, Pa., and fought the 5-1 Bison. Despite Goldklang's absence, the Quakers managed to battle the Bison to a 1-1 double-overtime tie, improving their season record to 0-2-1. "It was a pretty even match," sophomore midfielder Kelly Nolan said. "But we dominated most of the second half." Though she was upset about not being able to participate, Goldklang downplayed her role in the team's effort. "Our biggest burden is stopping Lisa Gibbons," Goldklang said. "It all turns on how we do against that girl up front." Junior forward Gibbons, or "that girl up front," is the current Division I leader in both goals scored (15) and overall points (32). She continued her domination of the Quakers last night, scoring Bucknell's only goal with 24:37 left in the game, tying her own single-season goal-scoring record. Freshman defender Heather Herson turned in an admirable performance against Gibbons. "Heather basically shut her [Gibbons] down," Nolan said. The Quakers held off Bucknell thanks to an unassisted second-half goal from freshman midfielder Lisa Paster. With 17:09 left in the game, Paster scored from 10 yards out after a scramble in front of the net. The Penn defense also performed well, holding the Bison to 19 shots on goal. And freshman goaltender Erin Heffernan faced up to the pressure of her first collegiate start and turned in an excellent performance. "Erin and I have different styles," Goldklang said. "She's a good keeper, with really good hands." The Quakers' pregame focus on overall fitness and playing as a unit showed in their performance. "We played really well together," Nolan said. "We had nice combinations on the forward line." This game should serve as a boost for the team as it prepares to face Ivy League competitor Dartmouth this weekend. But it means much more than that. It proves what the Quakers have been saying since their inception three years ago – that they are not dependent upon their few upperclassmen for success. "There are a lot of potential leaders on the team," Goldklang said. "I hope some of them step up." The tie last night may mean that they have done just that. With their star-quality performances, Herson, Paster and Heffernan mark the new class of up-and-coming Quakers, who are more than ready to fill in when the older stars go down.

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