W. Soccer's season ends with 1-0 loss in NCAAs

Penn lost to James Madison in the first game of the NCAA Tournament, ending the Quakers' best season in history. The atmosphere was hostile, the pressure was abundant and the situation was novel. The Penn women's soccer team was in the NCAA Tournament for the first time. The tournament ride did not last long, though, as the Quakers (13-4-1) were defeated 1-0 in the first round by host James Madison. Despite playing a more experienced opponent in front of a noisy and unfriendly crowd, Penn was still able to play one of its best games of the year. It was not enough, however, to get past the Dukes. Senior defender Jen Keefe scored the lone goal for James Madison (14-6-1) in the game's 60th minute to give James Madison a lead it would not relinquish. Christy Yacono sent a corner kick into play in front of the near side of the goal, where it was controlled and passed off by Aimee Grahe. Keefe was right there to head the ball by the near post and into the net despite the efforts of Penn freshman goalkeeper Katherine Hunt, who saw a streak of five shutout wins snapped. The Quakers outshot the Dukes 15-10, although both teams had just three or four legitimate scoring opportunities. Instead, most of the game was a battle in the midfield -- a battle which James Madison coach Dave Lombardo feels his team won. "We felt that we really dominated the run of play throughout most of the game," Lombardo said. "Penn would try to cut the field in half length-wise but we did a very good job of getting out of that." Penn came out with a great deal of intensity and aggression at the start of its first-ever NCAA Tournament game. The first 10 minutes were controlled by the Quakers before James Madison -- playing in the NCAAs for the fifth year in a row -- began to find its game. "We started out well the first 10 minutes but I think we started to soak upEa lot of pressure at the end of the half," Penn coach Andy Nelson said. "I thought the second half was a lot more even, although we easily outshot them." The game's action picked up significantly following intermission. After James Madison's lone goal was scored 15 minutes into the second half, the Quakers became much more aggressive in their efforts to tie the game and avoid being shut out for the first time all year. Penn picked up the offensive attack in the final minutes of the game by adding an extra forward to the lineup, which enabled the Quakers to get more looks at the net. "Penn really put a lot of pressure on us the last 15 minutes of the game," Lombardo said. "They turned it up with the extra forward and were really able to attack our goal." The Quakers were once again without the services of sophomore midfielder Sarah Campbell, who was out with a second-degree MCL sprain. James Madison, however, was affected even more by injuries. The Dukes were without both central midfielder Beth McNamara and second-leading scorer Terry Joyce. According to Lombardo, it took a while for James Madison to find a rhythm in the first half because of McNamara's absence. The Dukes did find their rhythm eventually, however, and will be playing in the tournament's second round as a result. They will stay in-state to face Virginia this weekend. Penn's loss marked not only the end of its best season ever, but also the end of the playing careers of four seniors. Defenders Jen Danielson and Deane Kocivar-Norbury were two of the main reasons the Red and Blue posted an astounding 10 shutouts this season. The pair -- also the team's co-captains -- made the transition to college soccer very easy for Hunt, who was rarely forced to make difficult saves because of the quality of the defense in front of her. On the opposite side of the field, Andrea and Jill Callaghan finished their careers as Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, on Penn's all-time scoring list. While the sisters were unable to add to their totals in yesterday's game, they did leave a lasting impression on Lombardo. "Penn has a very talented front two that's as dangerous a tandem as we've played all year," Lombardo said. "I recruited the Callaghans out of high school but they obviously made the right decision going to Penn. I think they've probably done more to make that program what it is today than anyone else." Another major reason for Penn's success this season was its coaching change. Last year's coach, Patrick Baker, left a team which he had personally recruited and developed to take the top job at Florida State, which plays in the powerful ACC. Surprisingly, it was Baker who did not make the tournament and Nelson who did in his first year at Penn. The former Wellesley coach's defensive strategies were one of the main reasons for Penn's success. Of course, it was a team mainly comprised of Baker's recruits which led the way. The four graduating seniors leave a legacy of success for the program after leading the Quakers to their best-ever Ivy League record (6-1) and first NCAA Tournament appearance. "Jill and Annie really set the standard for people to follow," Nelson said. "Along with Deane and Jen, they played a big part in getting the team where it is today and putting Penn women's soccer on the map."