W. Soccer aims for win five against Philly rival Temple

After four straight shutout victories, the Penn women's soccer team aims for 5-0. With its Ivy League season beginning on Saturday against Cornell, the Penn women's soccer team has been getting in last minute practice against neighborhood rivals. On Sunday, the Quakers extended their undefeated season to four games, shutting out Drexel 4-0. Today at 4 p.m., Penn will try to make it five straight against Temple at home on Rhodes Field. Fortunately for the Quakers, this year's Temple team should provide a better challenge than the squad they rolled over 8-0 last season. The Owls are 5-1 and on a four-game winning streak. "We talked about last year and how we can't let it affect how we play tomorrow," Penn senior Kelly Stevens said. "They've always been a very aggressive team, and with a 5-1 record they've obviously got some good players." According to Penn sophomore Leah Wulforst, Stevens' attitude exemplifies the Quakers' mentality this season. She credits her team's success thus far to the consistent respect and preparation that the Quakers have allotted to each opponent. "We realize that we can't underestimate anyone," she said. "We know they'll be in high spirits and that they've played some good teams." In preparing for Temple, Wulforst also commented on Penn's defensive efforts and the importance of staying focused in the backfield. "Our coach said they have some really good forwards so we have to concentrate," Wulforst said. "If we make mistakes, they'll capitalize on them." On offense, Penn will continue experimenting with a larger front line, utilizing three forwards rather than two, according to Penn sophomore Ashley Kjar. Kjar will move from stopper to center midfielder. While this set-up is somewhat of a defensive risk with fewer midfielders, it provides more scoring opportunities for the the forwards. "The change has really helped us capitalize on offense," Penn sweeper Deane Kocivar-Norbury said. "The forwards have been playing awesomely and putting up great numbers." Stevens was hesitant, though, to generalize from the Quakers' victory over Drexel. While Penn was obviously successful in scoring four goals, she explained how the Dragons' defense limited Penn's ability to fully execute their attack. "They bunkered in and put virtually all of their good players on defense," Stevens said. "We didn't have much space so we couldn't use all of our team's assets." The Quakers are expecting Temple to be a better test of their strategy, according to Kjar. Overall, Penn is hoping to keep its winning streak alive by working to maintain possessions and minimize turnovers and mental errors. Several players mentioned the team's goal to play a "full 90 minutes of soccer," with consistent, quality play. "There are always things that you feel you could have done better, but we want to limit them," she said. "We just want to come off of the field feeling good." At 4-0, such a feeling is popular among the Quakers. "Everyone is really upbeat and excited," Kjar said. "There's so much team unity." Even Penn's youngest members are catching on quickly. "Our team is great and I'm glad I made the choice to come here," freshman Sabrina Fenton, who scored her first goal in Sunday's win over Drexel, said. "I'll be nervous to play in the Ivies but we have such a great opportunity to do well this year. We could end up being number one and going to the NCAAs."