W. Lax in big underdog at No. 13 Yale

The Penn women's lacrosse team travels to the Yale Bowl today to make up a March 21 rainout with the Elis. For the Quakers (3-3, 1-1 Ivy League), tomorrow's make-up match against the No. 13 Yale Elis is a very important mid-season Ivy test. Originally scheduled as the Quakers' season opener on March 21, the rain-out is being played at the Yale Bowl during what was a five-day break in the Quakers' schedule. "We're underdogs, and I love to be the underdog. I love to be the spoiler," Penn coach Anne Sage said before the original match was rained out. "If we play well, we're going to come home with a 'W'." Two weeks and six games later, the Quakers' attitude is much the same. "We're definitely good enough to give them a good game and to win," senior co-captain Emmy Hansel said. The Elis (5-1,1-1 Ivy) are coming off two solid wins this past weekend. Following their first setback of the season -- 12-10 to No. 12 Dartmouth March 28 -- the Elis defeated Boston University 12-10 and Harvard 12-11 this past weekend in two hard-fought matches. In their contest at home versus Harvard, the Elis scored the last five goals of the game to pick up the win. As a result of this come-from-behind victory, the No. 13 Elis should have a lot of momentum on their side as they take on the Quakers at home today. The Quakers, however, seem to be heading in the same direction as the Elis. Following a second half against Temple which saw the Quakers dramatically limit the Owls offense, the Quakers played well on all sides of the ball in an 11-5 win over Columbia Sunday. "[Against Columbia] we gained confidence in the second half that we could pick up our game," junior attacker Katy Miller said. Six Quakers scored goals for a diverse offensive output over the weekend, but two in particular keyed the Quakers' 7-2 second half advantage over the Lions. Senior co-captain Darah Ross (21 goals) and freshman Annie Henderson (11 goals) have each scored in five of the six Quaker games. "Anyone on our team is capable of a big output," Ross said after her third six-goal effort of the season against Columbia Sunday. The test for Penn today will be to get past Elis goalie Alison Cole. The junior has played very well in the Elis' recent games, recording 17 saves in each of the last two. Penn's coaches, however, remain optimistic about the team's chances. "We picked apart Columbia on Sunday," Sage said. "Passing-wise and catching-wise, we had a very consistent second half." In several games this season, Quaker opponents have managed to put together prolonged scoring stretches, so a key for the Quakers today may be to jump on top early instead of being forced to play catch-up. "I think if we get there and score a few quick goals, we have a chance to beat them," freshman goalie Christian Stover said. The Elis, who come in No. 13 in the country, defeated the Quakers last year 12-10. This year against a less experienced Quaker team that has had several tough losses so far this season, the Elis may be primed for a better showing. If nothing else, Penn is certain to have its hands full on defense. The Elis return the '97 Ivy Rookie of the Year -- sophomore attacker Heather Bentley. Bentley has already scored 23 goals for the Elis this season, while junior attacker Alyssa Chen has pitched in with 17 more. Stover, whose two solid performances this weekend in the Quakers' net were her first on the collegiate level, is set to prevent Bentley and the Elis from putting up big numbers. "I'm expecting the team to have a good game -- if our heads are mentally in it," Stover said.

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