W. Soccer falls short yet again

There were 20 seconds left on the clock, and the Penn women's soccer team was down to its last chance. With the clock -- representing an enemy greater than any opponent -- slowly ticking toward impending doom, the Quakers were doing everything in their power to do something that they hadn't been able to do all game -- score a goal. With the visiting Brown Bears ahead 1-0 on a windy Saturday afternoon at Rhodes Field, the Quakers lofted a corner kick high in the air, which was followed by a scramble just outside the 18-yard box. The ball trickled to senior co-captain Ashley Kjar, playing in the last Ivy League home game of her career. But fate was not on the Quakers' side. Kjar's desperation shot sailed just over the top of the crossbar, one of Penn's many missed opportunities on the afternoon. And just like that, the Red and Blue walked away from Rhodes Field with their fourth straight defeat, dropping to 7-7-1 overall and 2-4 in the Ivy League and practically obliterating any postseason hopes. "We wanted to win for our family, we wanted to win for each other," senior midfielder Angela Konstantaras said. "It's very disappointing." Konstantaras, along with Kjar, defender Shannon Porter, midfielder Aidan Viggiano and co-captain midfielder Kelli Toland, were honored for senior day before the game. The five seniors, who have faced the adversity of playing under three different coaches, have helped to carry the Quakers to new heights, topped off by the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth last year. However, in their final year donning the Red and Blue, they have experienced some rocky times. In a season marred by injuries -- most notably Toland's ankle injury, which has kept her out of many recent games, including the majority of Saturday's contest -- the Quakers fell to the bottom of the Ivy League standings and, with Saturday's loss, dropped to .500 overall. "The seniors wanted this win," Penn coach Darren Ambrose said. "They're a very team-oriented bunch and are selfless competitors. It's so unfair for them." In Saturday's Ancient Eight battle, both Brown and Penn had many legitimate scoring chances. But it was not until the 76th minute that either team was able to score. Brown junior Kim Lanzire, taking a pass from sophomore Caitlin Carey, fired a shot past Penn sophomore goalkeeper Katherine Hunt and into the net. Lanzire's goal, her fourth in as many games and eighth on the season, would be the only goal of the game, propelling the Bears to victory. "I give credit to them [Brown]," Ambrose said. "They hit an incredible shot. Those are the breaks and plays that make games." However, Ambrose and his team shared the common belief that, despite the defeat, they were the best soccer team at Rhodes Field on Saturday afternoon. "Good team's don't always win," Ambrose said. "Everyone knows that we're the better team, and we can say that about six out of our seven losses. "We just have not been able to buy a break this whole season -- it's the same story." "We outplayed Brown and had a lot more quality chances," Porter said. "We just couldn't manage to put it in the back of the net."

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