Quakers hope to slip and slide past American

The Quakers and Eagles, with similarThe Quakers and Eagles, with similarhistories, will battle on muddy Rhodes Field For all its ground improvements, modern drainage system and rye grass surface, Rhodes Field is going to be hating life as a playing surface after the Penn women's soccer team tears it up for their fifth-ever game against American (7-3-1) at 4 p.m. today. Remember College Green during Locust Walk repairs? A similar fate awaits the soccer pitch, following flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Josephine. What may be a groundskeeper's nightmare, however, is certainly better than the slick plastic mat that covers Franklin Field, the sight of the Quakers previous matchup with the Eagles in 1993. "It was a cold November night," remembers American coach Colleen Corwell, "and I remember thinking 'I hope this doesn't go into overtime'." Hailing from the Colonial Athletic Association, American has been a perennial matchup for the Quakers (2-5-1). In fact, Penn's first varsity win ever came against the Eagles in their inaugural 1991 season. Playing their first varsity season in 1990, American's women's soccer program mirrors Penn's in many respects. After struggling to compete with the level of conference play, as Penn has, and the likes of William & Mary (to whom Penn lost, 8-1, this season), American finally posted a .500 conference mark and lost an agonizingly close 1-0 game to W&M; last season. The Eagles not only finished 10-7-4 overall for their most successful campaign ever, but they also return virtually the same team as last season. American also regraded its playing surface at Reeves Field, according to world-class standards, and added a new seating complex. American, after a disappointing 1-0 loss to Maryland-Baltimore County, is hoping today's match will serve to "fine tune some things" for upcoming conference matches. "We've got a strong passing game and finishers up front," Corwell said. "Our competitiveness is improving each year." It will be interesting to see if the Eagles can adjust to their play to the whim of Rhodes's saturated surface. Much of the offensive threat for American will come from forwards junior Lisa Herndon and senior Julia Pike. Pike has a solid striking pedigree as younger sister to graduated All-American Liz, who holds the school record for career goals and assists. On the other side of the field is American's stalwart on defense, senior goalkeeper Lisa Gervase. Winning games for the Eagles almost single-handedly last season, co-captain Gervase was honored with an first-team all-conference selection along with Herndon. "She could play at any Division I school," Corwell said. "She's got the fastest reactions of any goalkeeper I've ever coached." After losing to Harvard 5-0 last Sunday, Penn is looking toward today's matchup with some optimism. "We're playing a team that, on paper, shouldn't be able to beat us," Penn freshman sweeper Deane Kovicar-Norbury said. The series record with American, 3-1, compared to an 0-6 mark against Harvard, seems to indicate the Quakers have a good chance against the Eagles. As has been the trend so far this season, keeping the opponent's score low will give the Quakers a favorable chance of winning. The Penn defenders have yielded 32 goals in eight matches, placing them under a lot of scrutiny. It is, however, easier to point fingers than accurately place the blame. "The defense is playing well," Kocivar-Norbury argues. "It's not one of those things you can blame on someone." All but one of Penn's losses have come by a difference of five or more goals, a stat that indicates Penn has perhaps been competing a bit above its own level. Both sides seem to be up for what promises to be a grimy, dirty affair. Hydroplaning to a 1-0 victory versus Temple last week while the Penn men's soccer game was called off, it seems a waterlogged field is what the Quakers prefer. Mud-wrestling it is not, but you can be guaranteed that the amount of turf and muck that will be hanging from their uniforms would do any laundry detergent ad proud.