W. Soccer tops Cornell, now 2-0

For the second weekend in a row, the Penn women's soccer team ran from the bench in jubilation. And there is plenty to be happy about at Rhodes Field. The Quakers' 2-0 win over Cornell Saturday marked the fourth shutout of the season and third win in a row for Penn during its current homestand. Quietly, a success story is being made on its field of dreams, as Penn remains undefeated in the Ivy League. "It feels like it's supposed to feel. It feels like something I've never felt before, something that we've been working for, and there's definite excitement," Penn midfielder Angela Konstantaras said. The game, however, did not start smoothly, with Cornell (1-3, 1-1 Ivy) flying out of the gate, threatening to score on two occasions in the first three minutes. After a breakaway by Ivy Rookie of the Week Miki Agrawal that was stopped by Penn goalkeeper Anne Kluetmeier, the first half settled into a rhythm with each team trading opportunities. Cornell pressed defensively, sending two and sometimes three defenders on Quakers forwards, as well as converging on Penn throw-ins. The game, however, remained scoreless at halftime. The Quakers (5-1, 2-0) decided it was their turn to be the early aggressors in the next half. "We all knew that in order to win, we had to sacrifice for each other," Penn forward/midfielder Leah Wulforst said. "We had to work our hardest, sprint until we get tired, when someone else could go in for you, and give just as much effort." "I thought we had gained good opportunities in the midfield to get forward, but we were never able to link up," Penn coach Patrick Baker said. "The difference was we hit all of our passing decisions early in the second half out of the midfield." That offensive fluidity showed and finally paid dividends in the 56th minute on a quick pass play up the throat of Cornell's defense. "It's a play that we worked on," Wulforst said. "We pushed the ball up, everyone moved back, the middle opened up, Kelly Toland just pushed it right through a slot, and I just happened to be right there." Wulforst capitalized on the chance in front to put the Quakers in the lead, making the most of the 15 minutes of playing time she saw on the day. The goal drew a loud cheer from the Penn crowd who waited on pins and needles all afternoon for the moment that would shift the momentum one way or another. Penn didn't fold, bombarding the Big Red during the next five minutes and still keeping the ball on Cornell's deep third of their zone. With Cornell unable to get out of their own end, the Quakers finally added one more score the hard way on a line drive corner kick. "It's one of those plays where you plan and plan, and you just hope it goes," Penn sweeper Deane Kocivar-Norbury said. "I just knocked it in there, and Aidan Viggiano got her head on it." Viggiano's header went off the Cornell goalie and slowly drifted into the net in the 65th minute to give Penn a commanding two-goal lead. "You score a goal, momentum changes. You score a second goal off a corner kick that should've been cleaned up right away by the goalkeeper, that changes everything," Cornell coach Randy May said. What also didn't help May was the loss of his top freshman and two starters to severe knee injuries. "We don't have the full depth of our squad," May said. "It shows in the last 30 minutes where we have to find ways of bridging that gap. The fatigue in the central midfield showed, and we've got to hold possession." Penn continued to win the battle for loose balls the rest of the way. The depth of Penn's bench was a major difference while the Big Red continued to rely on a few key players. "We knew that if we could win the battle in the midfield and force other Cornell players to try and step up that hadn't in their last two games, we would have some success," Baker said. With the win, the Red and Blue have a chance not only to sweep the four-game homestand this week, but also to build momentum as they continue to enter unchartered waters, something that is not overlooked by those that have gone through the rough times. "People just don't understand when you've been at the bottom and every year you're getting beat," Baker said. "We've never beaten them (Cornell). We've never shut them out." Now they have, and there's no telling how many mile-markers they'll pass.