W. soccer wins two fro first-ever winning streak

Perseverance has finally paid off for the Penn women's soccer team. While the rest of campus relaxed over Fall Break, the 3-6-1 Quakers shut out West Chester Friday afternoon at Franklin Field 1-0, then traveled to Easton, Pa., to beat Lafayette 2-1 on Tuesday. "We kicked some major butt," freshman forward Yuka Morita said. "It's self-satisfaction. After all the work we put in, we're getting rewards." It was teamwork that enabled the Quakers to beat the Rams (4-6) and Leopards (6-9), in the process producing the team's first-ever two-game winning streak. Both the offense and defense played excellent, balanced games. "We have unsung heroes," senior captain and goaltender Debbie Goldklang said. "The defense shut down [Lafayette's senior midfielder] Heidi Caruso. The offense got production from [sophomore forward] Christy Mach, Yuka Morita, and [freshman midfielder] Nicole Caruso. It was a combined effort. No one player stood out." "We finally came together, all at once," junior forward Alisha Berger said. "It's nice when the whole team can function as a unit." In the West Chester game, the Quaker goal was scored by Morita, with an assist from freshman forward Erin Cohen. Morita also contributed in the Lafayette game, chipping in with a penalty-kick goal and an assist on Mach's game winner. "We're much more confident," Goldklang said. "We worked the ball better, and connected on our passes. We scored quality goals. Christy Mach's goal was the best we've had all season." The Quaker defense also performed admirably, holding the Rams to only one shot on goal in the 90-minute game on Friday. And even though Lafayette's highly-touted Caruso scored the Leopards' only goal of the game, she was held in check by the tough Penn squad. Sophomore midfielder Heike Krippendorff and freshman defender Heather Herson switched off on the task of marking Caruso, keeping her relatively contained. And Goldklang turned in her usual stellar performance, stopping 12 shots in Tuesday's win. The elder Caruso's presence provided yet another spark to the Quakers, contributing to the aggressiveness of the younger Caruso. "I was enthusiastic," Penn's Caruso said. "It was the only time Heidi and I had ever played together, and I was looking forward to it. It was a great day to play soccer." "Nicole went into the game wanting to win," Mach said. "She served as a motivator for the team." As usual, the Quakers carried their positive attitude into the non-conference games. But though the game against the Division II Rams seemed to be more of a joke, Lafayette was a tougher opponent than expected. "Lafayette's like Columbia," Penn head coach Suzette Wolf said. "They're not weak, and they have a few good players who dominate the game. The two teams (Penn and Lafayette) were evenly matched. It was a good game to watch." "West Chester is definitely not in the caliber of the Ivy League," Goldklang said. "Lafayette is a much better team than West Chester, but we played better soccer than them." "West Chester and Lafayette are a step below [Ivy squads] but they are still very competitive," sophomore defender Meg Kinney said. "But we've lost to teams of their caliber before." The Quakers seem to have overcome their past mental lapses in the two victories. This weekend the Penn women's soccer team finally played up to its capabilities. "All facets of the team are very strong," Kinney said. "It's the first time we've all come together, and good things will come out of it." The two wins will be a boost to the Quakers as they return to Ivy League play, for winning certainly brings the fun back into the game. "The team is building together," Wolf said. "Their spirits are lifted, and they feel better about themselves. It's really going to help them make a difference." "This is the first time we've won two games in a row," Goldklang said. "This is the turning point. We're done with that losing mentality that we've carried with us for a couple of seasons." "The team is coming together," Mach said. "The attitude is improving. The desire is there. That's why we're winning. And it's about time." And the Quakers have spent far too much time this season losing. They will try to use the power of positive thinking as they return to Ivy League play this weekend.