One last chance for W. Soccer

The day of reckoning has finally come upon the Penn women's soccer team. Tonight the Ivy League-winless Quakers (10-5-1, 0-5-1 Ivy League) head to New Jersey to face Princeton (9-7-0, 3-3-0) for the finale of a season that would have done this year's Tampa Bay Buccaneers proud. The confusing Quakers went from being considered pre-season Ivy League title contenders to being end-of-the-season Ivy League basement dwellers, despite a veteran-rich squad that last year took second place in the Ancient Eight and won the East Coast Athletic Conference championship. Adding to the puzzle over this Ivy League losing streak -- and possible last-place finish -- is the fact that the Quakers have not lost any of their non-conference games, even in a schedule that included nationally-ranked George Mason and ECAC powerhouse Seton Hall. Despite this terrible luck in league matches, Penn coach Patrick Baker has still been able to keep a sense of humor. "The running joke around here now [between the different coaching staffs] is that we should withdraw from the Ivy League and join another league, and then we might get some wins in our conference," Baker said with a laugh and a little smile. Baker, though, is very serious and very anxious about tonight's game. "I get fired up for Princeton," he said. "A win over Princeton does a lot because there's that natural rivalry there, and -- as much as I hate to say it -- a little hatred." He added that he and his team have been getting ready for this trip to Old Nassau since before they had even set foot on Rhodes Field in August. "We've been looking forward to, and preparing for, this game since the beginning of the season," Baker said. "We thought that we would be getting ready for some kind of post-season play, though. We didn't think [we] would be [playing] for our first Ivy League win." But the fact of the matter is that the Quakers are down to their last chance to tally a lone mark in their Ivy League win column. Princeton, though, is also looking tonight to add another 'W' to its overall win tally and round off its second 10-win season in a row. Last year, Tigers coach Julie Shackford led her team to its first double-digit win season this decade, and Shackford said that she wouldn't mind another. "Anytime you set a milestone like that you try to repeat it," she said. "It's still in the minds of our players to get this tenth win." Nonetheless, Shackford still considers Penn a "team to be reckoned with," regardless of its league record. The Tigers will be depending on sweeper Janet Santo and midfielder Julie Shaner to counter the Penn attack. "They are our stalwarts, game in and game out," Shackford said. Baker also mentioned the offensive threat of Princeton forward Dana DeCore, but agreed that Shaner is one of the keys players on the Tigers squad. "[Shaner] is a lot like our own [sophomore midfielder] Kellianne Toland -- the more times she touches the ball, the more chances she'll be able to create for their team," Baker said. Playing hard defense early and creating many offensive chances is what Baker said will help his team win the game. He added that Penn will be playing against a tradition that has been unfavorable to his team. The Quakers' only regular season win against the Tigers in the Baker era was last year at Rhodes Field, while the Red and Blue's two previous trips to Old Nassau have resulted in silent rides home. Tonight, Baker wants his players to look past any unlucky records or negative traditions and just focus on beating their rivals and finally getting that elusive victory in the Ivy League. "It's huge for us to not just go '0-fer' in the league," Baker said. "It will be a huge individual pride and team pride thing to at least finish the season on a winning note."