W. Soccer plays with something to prove

The Penn women's soccer team wants to get back on the winning track Seton Hall after falling to Harvard. The British are coming, the British are coming! The British will try to repeat history and once again hold Philadelphia and its Quakers hostage. This time however the "lobster backs" of the British Imperial Army will be replaced by one magnificent woman. Her name is Kelly Smith. Today at 1:30 p.m. on Rhodes Field the Penn women's soccer team (6-1-1, 0-1-1 Ivy League) will face Seton Hall (5-3-1) and its dynamic English scoring machine Kelly Smith. The game holds tantamount importance for the teams, both looking to strengthen their position in the Mid-Atlantic Regional rankings. "Seton Hall is ranked tenth in the region, and we've moved up from seventh to sixth, so it's a big regional game," Penn coach Patrick Baker said. "We beat East Carolina, and we need a feather in our cap by getting a big win within our region." Both teams have suffered recent set-backs to powerful opponents and are attempting to regain some of their tarnished luster. On Saturday, the Quakers fell to league rival Harvard, and Seton Hall was defeated by nationally ranked No. 7 Penn State on Sunday. "Anytime, as a team, you lose a big game, one of the best things you can do is play another game as quickly as you can," Baker said. "On Monday at practice, some of the players were a little lethargic and upset about Saturday's game. [Yesterday] there was more energy and the players were in much better spirits for [today's] game." The players agreed. "We can't harp on it; we have to learn from it and move on," junior forward Andrea Callaghan said. "That's what makes you a better team. You learn from it and move on. We have Seton Hall and Dartmouth on Saturday, so we have another shot at it." It is no secret which player will be the most instrumental in determining the outcome of the game -- Big East preseason Offensive Player of the Year Kelly Smith. "From what we're hearing, she's currently the best female soccer player in the country," coach Baker said. "Apparently as Kelly Smith goes, Seton Hall goes." Game statistics certainly bare witness to Smith's ability. The 5'9" forward from Garston Watford Herts, England, leads the team in almost every offensive category with 11 goals, 4 assists, 26 points, and 54 total shots. Only a junior, Smith is the Pirates all-time leading scorer and already has four career hat tricks, including last week's game against Syracuse. Even more impressive is Smith's international experience. She's been a member of the English National Team since the age of 16, with 19 career international appearances and four goals. She also plays for the London-based club team Arsenal and helped lead them to a 3-0 victory over Liverpool with two goals and an assist in the Premier League championship. Behind Smith, Seton Hall coach Betty Ann Kempf relies on Courtney Wood (three goals, eight points) and Jen Langlois (two goals, six points). Goalkeeper Stacey Nagle has also been impressive with 55 saves and a 1.64 goals-against average so far this season. "Their style of play is pretty direct with a lot of long balls instead of a short passing game," Baker said. "Defensively, they're very organized." Still the team is confident and undaunted. "Seton Hall is regionally ranked, and when we beat them it's going to be a big victory," Callaghan said. "This is what tests a good team. I know our team, and we're better than [the Harvard game] and we're going to come out ready to play and ready to win." Hopefully the Quakers have learned from history, dropped their pacifistic ideals, and this time have made the adequate preparations for an English invasion.