W. Lax moves up to No. 12 in the NCAAs

The Quakers broke into national prominence with a 10-9 victory over Harvard in Cambridge, Mass. In 25 years at Penn, Quakers women's lacrosse coach Anne Sage had never beaten Harvard on their turf? until Saturday, that is. Not only was Penn's 10-9 victory over the Crimson a monumental game in Sage's career, but it launched the team into the NCAA rankings. Last year the Quakers beat the Crimson for the first time in 27 years. This year Penn (2-2, 2-0 Ivy League) continued that winning streak. In 1995 the team earned only one Ivy League victory; last year they earned three. This season, the Red and the Blue are already two-for-two in the league, and are currently in first place in the Ancient Eight. "Any time you play an Ivy League game it's definitely intense and competitive. We knew that no matter where the rankings are (Harvard was ranked No. 13 by the NCAA coming into the game), Harvard was going to be tough and physical and we responded pretty well," Penn tri-captain Amy Tarr said. "We started off very strong during the first 10 minutes. They came back strong and made a run with the ball. From that point on we played neck and neck down to the wire until we pulled it out in last couple of minutes with two goals." Although Harvard (3-2, 0-2)was out for revenge for last year's defeat, and had the advantage of playing at their Ohiri Field, the Quakers were on fire. Many of the players' parents attended the game, and the incentive to put on a good game for the fans was high. "Brooke [Jenkins] was sick and didn't travel with us, and Curran [Kelly] is still out, and that made us nervous," Quaker senior Caroline Chen said. "Just before the game we had a team meeting and decided that we wanted to do this for them. We wanted to prove to everyone, and to ourselves, that we have ability to pull together and show we can do it." With very few substitutes, the players were exhausted by the end of the game, claiming that the last two minutes seemed like an eternity. With only four minutes left, Penn's Jen Leisman scored and was immediately followed by her teammate Sue Pierce. Pierce earned a second goal with a free position just over a minute later. Seemingly secure with a score of 10-7, Penn was soon on shaky ground. The Crimson managed to instill fear in the Quakers, making two goals with less than a minute left in the game. The Red and the Blue, however, remained strong on defense and did not allow a game-tying shot. Despite the huge win, which brought Penn into the NCAA rankings for the first time ever, the Quakers are still realistic about what needs improvement. The acknowledgement of flaws is greatly overwhelmed by an aura of enthusiasm and determination. Ranked No. 12, in a tie with Princeton, among Division I teams, Penn is anxious to play another league game. "We need to work on a full game -- playing our game, concentrating on possession and fewer turnovers, and being aggressive on ground balls and at the offensive end," Tarr said. Penn is particularly looking forward to Friday's game against Dartmouth as an opportunity to show its stuff. Both the Quakers and the Big Green are undefeated, and Penn is the league leader. Compared to1995's record of 0-7 in the league, Penn women's lacrosse team has certainly risen in the rankings.

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