W. Soccer goes north

The Penn women's soccer team faces its most serious challenge of the year tomorrow when it travels to Cambridge, Mass., to face nationally-ranked Harvard. The Quakers (4-3-1, 1-2 Ivy) will be looking for the biggest win in the program's short history. The Crimson (6-1-1, 1-0-1) were winning Ivy League titles a decade before Penn started its now five-year-old program. For Penn, it will be an opportunity to extend its recent two-game winning streak and double last year's Ivy win total. It is hard to say the team is riding a wave of momentum, though. Yom Kippur and yesterday's miserable weather led to the postponement and eventual cancellation of a match at Temple. "It's too bad. It was going to be a W," Penn coach Patrick Baker said. The trip to New England promises to be a new experience for the Quakers. Harvard boasts, in Baker's opinion, "by far the best players we will face this year." Those include several members of the United States under-20 international player pool. The most notable of these players is sophomore midfielder Emily Stauffer, winner of last season's Ivy League Rookie of the Year award. How will the Quakers handle Harvard's star player? They plan to use the time-honored "make someone else beat us" method. If the year to date is any indication, that system should be successful. The defense, allowing under a goal-and-a half per match overall, has had fine results in shutting down their opponents' stars. The marquee players of Cornell, Dartmouth, Bucknell and others have been sent away empty-handed. Defeating a team of Harvard's caliber will require a disciplined effort. "We're going to have to match speed with speed outside and understand that we are not going to be able to attack [at the start]," Baker said. If there is to be an upset this weekend, Penn will have to beat Harvard at its own game. The Quakers will concentrate on short passing and ball possession. The balanced scoring of the team (scoring leaders Yuka Morita and Kelly Stevens have just three goals apiece) may allow someone to break away for a surprise goal. That scenario was almost played out last year at Franklin Field, as the Quakers missed several breakaway opportunities. The Crimson have accumulated an impressive record in 1995 against a soft schedule. If it lumps the rising Quakers in the company of Canisius and Holy Cross, it may get a surprise.