Freshman smashes scoring record

Penn women's soccer freshman Katy Cross did not think she would be playing much this season.

And yet, after not even one full season with Penn, she holds the women's soccer program's most prestigious record.

Cross scored two goals to smash the Penn single-season points record, leading the Quakers to a 4-0 victory over Lafayette in Easton, Pa.

With two games left in the season, Cross stands alone in first with 28 points. The previous record of 26 was set two seasons ago by Jill Callaghan.

"Just coming in as a freshman, I didn't even know if I would play," Cross said. "I'm happy that I got the record, but I don't know if it's really sunk in yet."

It did not take long for her to tie the record. Penn junior Heather Taylor lobbed a beautiful pass to Cross, who then chipped the ball over the goaltender to get her record-tying 26th point just nine minutes into the game.

After a Leopards foul, Taylor hurried to score on a direct kick past a startled Lafayette defense 25 minutes later. The goal gave Penn a commanding 2-0 lead going into halftime.

"We really came out fired up," Penn midfielder Ayla Gustafson said. "We really wanted to use this as a springboard into this weekend's game [against Princeton]."

Early in the second half, Quakers freshman Rebecca Weber grabbed a quick steal and went unassisted, squashing any chances of a Lafayette comeback.

Cross scored and broke the record at the 49:15 mark of the contest on a double assist from freshmen Anne Laughlin and Lauren Bome.

"Tonight was our best team performance of the season," Penn coach Darren Ambrose said. "This was the best team we've played in a midweek game and we didn't struggle."

In addition to Cross's record, the Quakers had a few other notable feats yesterday. Sophomore Vanessa Scotto picked up her ninth shutout of the season, while the Red and Blue finished undefeated, 8-0-2, in non-league play. They are still unbeaten on the road this season, with one game at Harvard remaining.

Despite Penn's excellent team showing, Cross's feat was the night's main event.

The modest freshman, however, is low-key about breaking the scoring record.

"I mean, this is what everyone wants, to do their best," Cross said. "But I was really more excited about our win tonight."

Ambrose, whose first recruiting class this year included Cross and fellow freshman phenom Rachelle Snyder -- who has 23 points on the year but has been hobbled by a knee injury as of late -- seems to be more excited than Cross herself.

"This is just an incredible achievement, not only because she is a freshman, but because there are two games left in the season," Ambrose said. "She's gotten points against bad teams, against good teams... she really hasn't played a bad game all season."

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