Cornell waiting in wings for W. Lax vengeance

A year ago, the Quakers managed a 10-9 win. Now an explosive Cornell offense awaits low-scoring Penn. They are ready to play. This is the mentality echoed throughout the hearts and souls of the coaches and players of the Penn women's lacrosse team. The Quakers travel to Ithaca, N.Y., tomorrow to play Cornell (2-1) in their Ivy League opener. The game will take place at noon at Shoelkopf Field. Penn and Cornell open their Ivy League seasons with a game that should provide an atmosphere filled with emotion. Cornell is seeking revenge for last year's narrow 10-9 loss in the league opener. "When it comes to playing against any Ivy opponent both teams are always playing with a lot of emotion, but when it comes to playing Cornell the emotion is that much greater," Penn tri-captain Curran Kelly said. "I'm not saying that it is a must win game, but we will definitely be playing like that and I am sure they will be also." Penn (0-1) enters in the same situation as a year ago, having played nationally ranked and perennially strong Loyola as a precursor to the Ivy schedule. Last year, however, the Red and Blue were easily dismissed by the Greyhounds, 15-6, while this year, the Quakers managed to stay competitive with Loyola in a game where the final score, 10-4, did not represent the competitiveness of the contest. "We have learned in just one game that we are capable of playing up to the intensity any team has to offer," Penn coach Anne Sage said. "All Ivy games are intense and I think we will be able to play with any team." The Quakers also learned other lessons from their first contest of the season that will be invaluable as they enter into their Ivy games. "I think the main reason why we were beaten in the second half of the Loyola game was because of the number of turnovers we committed," said Penn tri-captain Amy Tarr. "If we are able to minimize the number of turnovers we commit, then we will be a very difficult team to defeat." Penn will need to play a controlled game on the defensive side but will need to raise its voraciousness on offense. The Quakers only scored two goals in each half of their first contest and will need to be more productive on offense. Contrasted with Penn's play, Cornell has scored a combined 29 goals in its last two contests, each of which was a victory for the Big Red. Cornell has recently been led by the strong play of senior Lauren Feinstein who has scored seven goals in the last two games with a career best five in the most recent contest. The Big Red's offense has been getting better with each game and will definitely be playing with extra intensity this weekend. The emotions will definitely be on a high this week, as the Quakers get to show the rest of the Ivies their potential. This game should be a stepping stone for the Red and Blue as they look to improve upon their 3-3 record in the Ivies last year.