JOKE ISSUE: W. Soccer drops Ivy games for '99

The Quakers will play only non-league games to improve their RPI. Penn officials announced yesterday that, beginning next season, the Penn women's soccer team will no longer schedule matches with Ivy League opponents. Although Penn's athletic program will remain a member of the Ivy League, the women's soccer team will do so in name only. The Quakers will model their program after such established independent Division I women's teams as Notre Dame, Oral Roberts and Wofford. "The coaches and team members sat down with myself and other members of the Penn athletic staff several times since the end of the past season and over the course of these meetings we discussed their concerns about what was best for the future of the team," Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said. "As a result of these discussions -- coupled with the team's play both in and out of the Ivies the past few seasons -- we made the tough decision to stop playing league opponents. "Actually, it wasn't that tough -- it was kind of fun. Regrettable, but fun." The major factor that contributed to this momentous decision was the Quakers' play outside of the Ivies in the last few seasons. The team followed up a 9-3-0 non-conference record in '97 with a perfect 10-0-0 record in non-Ivy play this past fall. The '98 season saw the Quakers defeat two top 10 teams in the Mid-Atlantic region -- No. 9 Seton Hall, 3-2, and No. 10 George Mason, 1-0 -- and outscore their non-conference opponents by a tremendous 36-3 margin. Once in the "un"friendly confines of Hanover, N.H., Providence, R.I., and the like, however, the Quakers were stymied at every turn. Penn compiled just a 1-5-1 Ivy record in '98, good for dead last in the Ancient Eight. In light of these results, team and University officials concluded that it would be in the best interest of the Penn program to stop playing in the Ivies for a two-year test period, then re-evaluate the team's status. If all goes as planned, the Quakers will move up considerably in the women's soccer RPI and thus increase their chances of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Currently, competing as an independent is the chosen method of No. 3 Notre Dame -- a school that Penn will seek to model its play, scheduling and "recruiting" after. The Quakers already had nine non-Ivy opponents scheduled for the fall at the beginning of these talks, and have since confirmed dates with the Philadelphia College of the Bible (St. Joseph's), the Philadelphia College of 33rd Street (Drexel) and the Philadelphia College of No-one-cares (Villanova) -- ensuring that the women's squad will not lose the opportunity to face a full '99 slate. Another point discussed with some concern during the winter and early spring meetings was the fact that despite overly strong team and individual efforts, the Quakers (11-5-1, 10-0-0 non-Ivy League) have never won an Ivy title. Similarly, the team has never rostered either an Ivy Player of the Year or an Ivy Rookie of the Year. This led the team to only one conclusion. "This was just another example of the man keeping us down," Penn junior forward Andrea Callaghan said. "We've got to get out of this place -- if it's the last thing we ever do. "Our play is constricted by having our post-season chances dependent solely upon seven league games, where one or two [or five] fluke losses can knock us out of the picture. If we play more non-Ivy games, I'm sure that we'll fare a lot better and get an NCAA at-large bid." The team and coaching staff all believe that the Quakers will be able to succeed -- if not excel -- once unburdened from the frustrating bonds of a rigorous Ivy schedule. "It's not fair," sophomore fifth-string goalkeeper Lauren Dickie said. "We kick every single one of our non-league opponents around the field and then get no recognition because of our Ivy record." "We figure that we can show the Ivies who's the best by just going out and playing who we want to play and picking up 15 quality wins every year. That way we don't have to deal with all these 'nationally ranked' Ivy teams," echoed Andrea's Doublemint-Gum-esque identical sister Jill. Former Penn coach Patrick Baker, who left the program for Florida State following the team's disappointing 1998 season, said that he feels that the Quakers' action was justified and may be productive in the long run. "Free at last," Baker said from his new home in Tallahassee. When reminded that he was not being asked about his departure from Penn, Baker continued, "Oh, I think now the team will be free to schedule top-tier teams, establish itself as a strong national contender and finally live up to the players' egos." Other Ivy League coaches, however, expressed dismay at the decision of the Penn team -- for several reasons. "This is a serious blow to the integrity and the tradition of our esteemed League," Harvard coach Tim Wheaton said. "I know they couldn't win worth a damn in the league but I'm shocked and disappointed that it came to this. "And I'm also upset because this means that there's one less Ivy win on our schedule next year." Whatever conclusion is reached to this tumultuous affair, it is clear that feelings are -- and will remain -- strained between the Penn team and Ivy officials.