Brower goes back to face ex-players

Karin Brower was an assistant with the Tigers for two years. Her Quakers visit them today. The hits just keep on coming for the Penn women's lacrosse team. Since defeating La Salle on April 4, the Quakers have dropped three straight games against Harvard, Rutgers and Dartmouth. And things won't get any easier today when the Red and Blue (5-5, 1-4 Ivy League) travel to Princeton this afternoon. After losing 18-7 to No. 9 Dartmouth last Saturday, Penn coach Karin Brower said the Big Green were definitely in a "different league" than her young squad. And judging by Princeton's perfect league record, 11-1 overall mark and No. 2 national ranking, Penn will likely get another taste of that superior league today at Old Nassau. "It's definitely hard to play them back-to- back, but I think we played better against Dartmouth this year than we have in years past, so it's easier to think about playing Princeton now," Penn junior goalkeeper Christian Stover said. "I think it's going to be a fun game. We really have nothing to lose." Stover noted one thing that should make her job in the cage a bit easier than in last year's 17-3 loss, explaining that Penn will not have to contend with Princeton's Christi Samaras on attack this time around. The Tigers 1998-99 star captain has graduated after scoring an impressive 44 goals last season. Brower isn't too comforted by Samaras' departure, though, and she is certainly well-versed on Princeton lacrosse after serving as an assistant coach with the Tigers for two years before coming to Philadelphia. "Honestly, this team is doing so well as a team. It's not like they have any outstanding players like Samaras," Brower said. "They weren't expected to do as well as they're doing this year, but they're just really playing well together. Every single position is scoring." But the Tigers do have one standout whom Brower remembers -- junior Julie Shaner, a former Ivy League Rookie of the Year who has 19 goals this season. "She's going to be a problem for us," Brower said. "She's just very tenacious. She's just one of those kids who, when you check her, she comes back at you." Shaner is one of just four Tigers leftovers from Brower's coaching days, so the former assistant said she won't have much inside information to help her cause against the Ivy League powerhouse. Brower is sure of one thing, however. When the Quakers face Princeton this afternoon, they will witness firsthand the type of play that she is always encouraging from her new team. "They all move off the ball like I'm trying to get my kids to do, but [Penn is] just not at that level yet," Brower said. "Princeton understands attack movement, and they understand team defense because they've been in that system for a while and they've had those older kids to look up to, which I don't have. "It will be great for my kids to play them because they will finally get to see what I'm always talking about." According to Brower, last week's contest with the Big Green showed how far Penn's attack will need to go before it can compare with the nation's best. But whereas Dartmouth's strength lay in its offense, Brower feels Princeton will teach the Red and Blue a thing or two about defense. Penn attacker Traci Marabella said the Quakers are ready and willing to treat today's contest as a learning experience, but the sophomore had a few other things on her mind, too. "With a little luck, and maybe if they happen to have an off game then maybe we could pull off the upset."

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