W. Soccer splits opening weekend in Maryland

Penn defeated Loyola on Kelli Toland's goal before losing to 10th-ranked Maryland 2-0. It was a memorable weekend for three members of the Penn women's soccer team. Not only did Annie Kluetmeier, Kelli Toland and Shannon Porter start their first two collegiate games, but the second of the two teams was the No. 10-ranked team in the nation, Maryland. The Quakers first defeated Loyola (Md.) on Friday night 1-0 on a late, unassisted goal by freshman Toland after dominating for 87 minutes. Maryland overwhelmed the Red and Blue yesterday but was only able to score twice while shutting out Penn. Host Maryland went on to win the Puma Tournament. In the Friday night match against Loyola, the Quakers outshot the Greyhounds, 13-7. Sophomore goalie Annie Kluetmeier, who spent last year recovering from elbow surgery, only needed one save to record her first shutout. "We were all over them. We were in and around the box the whole game," Penn sophomore sweeper Deane Kocivar-Norbury said. The Quakers thoroughly outplayed Loyola and had multiple opportunities to score. Penn had eight corner kicks to Loyola's one. However, the game remained scoreless through halftime and into the last minutes of the game. The decisive shot came off of Toland's foot, was bobbled by Greyhound goalie Erin Gilroy, and fell in the net. "It was frustrating that we didn't get more in," Kluetmeier said. For the three debuting starters, the Loyola game came complete with butterflies in the stomachs. "I was so nervous, but it was okay once I got out there," Toland said. That the Quakers did not score until the last minutes of the game gives the team valuable experience for future nailbiters. "If it's neck and neck, we can pull it out," Kocivar-Norbury said. "We scored in the last two minutes, and we know that we can do it again." After getting the first match safely under its belt, the Red and Blue had almost 48 hours before its match against the Terrapins. The Quakers had the luxury of watching Maryland defeat No. 22 Wake Forest, 4-0, and adjusting to what they saw. "We had to change our style of play to counteract Maryland's style," Kocivar-Norbury said. The overwhelming majority of the Maryland match was spent on the Quakers' end of the field. Kluetmeier was given the unenviable task of keeping the ball out of the net. Two of Maryland's 17 shots found the back of the net, while Kluetmeier chalked up five saves. Both of the Terrapins' goals were scored by Emmy Harbo in the second half. While the Maryland game shows up in the loss column, it was a moral victory for the Quakers to hold the Terrapins to only two goals. It was all the more encouraging considering that No. 22 Wake Forest lost 4-0 to the ACC powerhouse. "We were out there to prove that we could play with them," Toland said. The big story was the starting, collegiate debuts for Kluetmeier, Toland and Porter. All three played outstanding games at critical positions, according to their teammates. Kluetmeier recorded a shutout, Toland did a good job of controlling the middle of the field at the central midfield position and Porter was one of the marking backs. "You couldn't see rookie mistakes coming from their part," Kocivar-Norbury said. Inexperience was a key concern of Quakers coach Patrick Baker going into this weekend, but the play of these three this weekend should put his mind at ease.