W. Lax meets young Big Red

After a rough trip Tuesday at Loyola in Baltimore, the Penn women's lacrosse team (1-2, 0-1 Ivy League) returns home tomorrow (12 noon, Franklin Field) to take on Ivy-foe Cornell (0-0, 0-0). The Quakers were pounded 16-2 at the hands of the Greyhounds Tuesday, who are ranked fourth in the nation. Senior Franny Maguire and sophomore Amy Shapiro scored the only goals for Penn, which suffered its second straight loss after a season-opening victory. According to coach Anne Sage, the game was never close. "We weren't in the game," Sage said. "The score was 7-1. It was just a lack of hustle, a lack of awareness. We didn't show up to the game." Of course, Sage added, the quality of the Quakers' opponent had something to do with the result. "They're an outstanding team," she said of Loyola. "They should finish in the Final Four. They were just explosive and very well disciplined. So, it was a combination of things." Against such an impressive team, Penn had to be at its best physically and mentally to compete. But that didn't happen, Sage said. "I think we could have done better," Sage said. "We weren't getting to ground balls, we were bobbling. I think it was just a poor performance on Penn's part. "You have to show up. You have to get yourself mentally ready and prepared for the physical battle. You can't show up and just go through the motions. You're playing a nationally-ranked team." The Quakers will get a chance to redeem themselves tomorrow against Cornell. Penn lost a close game to the Big Red last year, 7-6. Though Sage admits she knows very little of this year's Cornell squad, which will be playing its first game, she pointed out a couple of things the Quakers will have to do well. "We have to adjust to their zone, work on our clearing patterns, and play with more intensity," Sage said. While every league game is important, Sage said the team is only concerned with playing well. "Every Ivy League game is a close encounter," Sage said. "You can't underestimate the Ivies. We want to get off to a good start. I think it's important to play well against Cornell. "We want to play well. The end result will take care of itself." The Quakers are hoping that result will be a positive one.