W. Soccer edges Cornell to stay unbeaten in Ivies

Andrea Callaghan's goal proved to be enough as the Quakers edged the big Red 1-0 at Rhodes Field. Although worthy of an "A" for effort in their second Ivy League win this season, Penn women's soccer coach Andy Nelson could only give his players an overall grade of "B-" in their victory over visiting Cornell Saturday. The reason for Nelson's just-slightly-above-average grade is the 1-0 final score of the match. The Quakers have been plagued by low-goal scoring against Ivy opponents ever since gaining varsity status in 1991. In their two Ivy games thus far this season, the Quakers (3-1-1, 2-0 Ivy League) have totaled 28 shots, but have found the net only twice -- both by forward Andrea Callaghan. And in both of those matches, Penn not only had a healthy shot total but also dominated play throughout most of the game. "If I was to pick out one thing we need to focus on, we need to become more consistent in taking chances on goal," Nelson said after the Cornell (1-3-1, 0-2) win. "We did very well at a lot of things, but we maybe should have had two or three goals today instead of just one." Like Nelson, the members of the Penn front attack also stressed the desire for increased scoring. Their perfect record in the Ivies aside, the Quakers have a problem in their inability to put points on the scoreboard in a sport where high possession time often equals high goal scoring. "We dominated the first half of each half," Callaghan said. "We could have scored more goals. We're just not getting enough goals." According to Callaghan, along with a little technical fine-tuning, some mental adjustments must be made in order for Penn to begin kicking more shots into the opposing net. "We've been playing defensively oriented lately," she said. "We need to pressure a little more. We get in a goal and then lay back and end up playing defense more than offense." This drop back into a defensive mindset is exactly what happened to the Penn forwards after Callaghan scored eight minutes into the game. Quakers forward Jill Callaghan took a pass from midfield deep into the right corner of the field, where she faked her defender with a step-over, then kicked a cross into the middle of the goal box where her sister, Andrea, was waiting. After that, it was a mix of luck and skill that brought the game-winning goal for Penn. "I was right in the middle of the goal box, and the cross deflected off the girl who was defending me," Andrea Callaghan said. "She deflected it right to me and I got a foot on it. "Jill pretty much did all the work. I just stood there and booted it in." The Quakers didn't immediately lose their offensive pressure after the goal but there was a noticeable deflation in the Penn attack as the first half progressed. Cornell tried to capitalize on the Quakers' diminished forward pressure by building up of its own attack in the waning minutes of the half. A mistake by the otherwise solid Penn defense almost gave the Big Red the game-tying goal that they were looking for. In the 38th minute, Cornell midfielder Stephanie Setyadi found a crack in Penn's back line by cutting the ball around Quakers defender Shannon Porter at the top of the penalty box, getting herself a clear path to the goal. With Porter at her heels and Penn goalkeeper Katherine Hunt caught a little to the left side of her line, Setyadi let off a low shot to the right. Much to the relief of the Quakers, though, the equalizer rolled just wide of the right goal post and out of play. The Quakers began the second half much as they had begun the game, with a lot of possession time and some good shot attempts. But as time wore on, Penn again moved into a defensive stance, which Cornell again tried to take advantage of by increasing its attack. The Big Red's best chance in the final frame, though, was foiled by the acrobatics of Hunt, who stretched herself out to punch away a Cornell shot with 12:16 remaining, then jumped up and pounced on the rebound shot to stop it at the goalpost. Nelson said that this save, as well as Hunt's attention to the fundamentals of her position, helped the Quakers get the win. "She did a lot of tidy little things," he said. "When we know the goalie will do the little things it makes a big difference. The players in front of her feel a little more comfortable because they know what's behind them." What's behind Penn after fending off the final Cornell assault at the end of the match is not only a second Ivy League win but another example of the dangers that an inability to score multiple goals brings. The Quakers may need to find a remedy for this problem soon because what's ahead of them next weekend is a trip to Harvard to battle the Ivy League favorites in a match that may decide the eventual champions.