W. Soccer bows out to Owls

Momentum ran into a brick wall yesterday and Temple made it hurt. The Owls, not one to shy away from physical play, outpaced the Penn women's soccer team to a 3-1 victory at Temple Stadium for their first win of the season. Penn (1-4-1), coming off one of the best wins in its 3-year history (a 5-2 decision over Lehigh last Thursday), appeared to come into the game with more momentum than the winless Owls. However, appearances can be deceiving, as Temple (1-6-2) used its two biggest advantages in speed and strength to snare the victory away from the Quakers. "[Temple] was so fast and physically strong," Penn coach Suzette Wolf said. "We kept up with them as long as we could." Indeed, the game was a see-saw battle until the end. After Temple scored a first-half goal, the Quakers evened the score in the second half on the strength of the leg of sophomore midfielder Kelly Nolan. Nolan scored her goal on a direct kick from about 20 yards out. Nolan said that she was helped by Temple's inability to have their wall set. However, Penn soon ran out of breath keeping up with the physically demanding Owls. Temple was able to finish off the pesky Quakers with the final two goals. "[We lost] because we couldn't play the pace they were playing," Wolf said. "A lot of young players [were] set back by [Temple's style of play.]" Wolf felt that the Owls "crossed the line" from playing tough to playing dirty. However, Penn players denied that they were intimidated by Temple. "They're a bunch of hackers," freshman forward Yuka Morita said. "We all have played with people like that. They go for your ankles. It frustrates and everything. [But] we [knew what] to expect." The Quakers did not stay on the ropes and take the Owls' shots quietly. Instead, Penn tried to give as good as it got. "When someone pushes, we could push right back," Morita said. The coach echoed her sentiments. "We were giving it right back," Wolf said. Temple's style of physical play is a complete contrast to Penn's ball-control style which relies on teamwork and passing. The Owls, which Wolf describes as a very individual-oriented squad, dictated the style of play in this game and that put the Quakers constantly on the defensive. Temple outshot Penn by a commanding 28 to 6 margin. "[This game was] a good learning experience," Wolf said. "Division I soccer is a very physical game.?[We have to] adjust to different styles of play." One advantage that seemed to be on Penn's side was momentum. However, many Quakers felt desire was lacking. "I think we need to realize desire is really important," freshman defender Heather Herson said. "Temple just wanted the game more than we did."

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