W. Soccer pre Delaware: W. Soccer looks for 4th win

A young Penn women's soccer team managed to salvage three wins last season. This year's Quakers (3-7-1), currently campaigning with three wins will look for that fourth win today at Delaware. Last year's game versus the Blue Hens can only be described as a total disappointment. In the end, the Quakers were defeated only 1-0 in a game that was described as their worst overall performance of the year. This, along with the fact that the Quakers are coming off what was probably their best game of the season against Brown on Saturday (a narrow 1-0 loss), makes for high optimism among the Quaker faithful. "[The Brown game] was probably our best game as a team," Penn sophomore Christy Mach said. "We didn't let up throughout the whole 90 minutes, and walked off the field with our heads high." Penn will need to carry this attitude and spirit into today's game as it will face a tough Delaware front line – one that is more experienced than the one that stole a victory from the Quakers a year ago. "They have a strong offense that can score a lot if we don't play well," Mach said. "We can't worry about them, we have to put the ball in the net. We have to be concerned with our game and our offense." The Quaker offense has struggled on the season, managing only 11 goals to date, an average of just one goal per game. Penn's problem happens to be that the defense gives up nearly 3 goals per game and the offense really has to come alive to salvage victories. "We need to score," Mach said. "Our failure to put the ball in the net has really plagued us this season. We are shooting the ball, but we just aren't getting any breaks. We are really going to have to step up the intensity of our game, take more shots and hope that we're successful. If we play like we did against Brown, we will be [successful]." The Quakers have a host of players that have the ability to score, but no one has made an impact like freshman Yuka Morita. Morita has combined her skills with incredible speed to emerge as the Quakers' leader in points. Morita scored the game winner and had an assist in the win against Lafayette, and currently has netted 3 of the Quakers' 11 goals on the season. On defense, the fullbacks protect an ever busy goalie in senior Debbie Goldklang. On the surface one might say that a team that yields nearly 3 goals per game might have a problem in goal. On the contrary, Goldklang has turned back shot after shot. In fact, for the most part she has saved more shots than any duo of goalies in the Ivy League combined. "The offense has to have a big game," Mach said. "We really have to come through and take some of the pressure off Debbie. Delaware is basically a weak team, and if we lose it's going to be a major letdown. This is a non-league game and we are expected to win." Today's game will be played on the Blue Hens' home turf, a potential problem for the Quakers. Penn has not played well when travelling, as they have lost all but one road game on the season. With this in mind the Quakers will have to play a tough mental game to offset Delaware's home-field advantage. The Quakers are going to need a big effort from everyone, as they are nursing a couple of injuries that can make today's game all the more interesting. Sophomore defender Meg Kinney will be slowed by a pulled hamstring while midfielder and fellow sophomore Kelly Nolan is coming off a sprained ankle. "[Kelly and Meg are] a vital part of the team," Mach said. "But you have to realize that everyone else has these late-season bumps and bruises. We just have to suck it up and play tough."