Penn looks to keep on scoring

After emphatically snapping their losing streak last weekend by scoring 31 goals in two games, the Penn women's lacrosse team will look to continue their dominant play as they travel to Boston to take on Harvard on Saturday.

Penn (4-7, 1-2 Ivy League) picked up its first Ivy League win against Columbia, 15-4 last Friday and embarrassed Villanova, 16-1.

"It was a confidence boost for a lot of people," Penn junior Lindsey Cassidy said. "Playing teams that you know you're better than and doing things you know how to do, you gain confidence and momentum."

Shot selection and a better shooting percentage were the tenants head coach Karin Brower had been preaching for weeks and her team seems to have finally adopted them.

"Shooting is about confidence and as long as you have confidence you're going to score," senior Crissy Book said.

The 31 goals scored equalled the total output during Penn's five-game losing streak and the Quakers look for the torrid scoring to continue against Harvard.

Entering Saturday's match with Penn, Harvard will be sporting a less than spectacular 1-7 overall record and 0-2 in Ancient Eight contests.

Harvard is allowing 10 goals per game and is coming off a performance in which its porous defense gave up 16 goals against Yale.

The Crimson are also yet to win a game on their home turf (0-3) and are allowing 11.6 goals per outing at the friendly confines of Jordan Field.

Offensively, Harvard is led by the sophomore duo of Elaine Belitos and Casey Owens. The two have combined to score 17 goals and contribute on 47 percent of their team's total offense.

If Penn wants to see results similar to that of the past week, they will need to see the continued growth of a young and inexperienced defense.

Anchored by senior Christy Bennett, Penn's backline currently consists of four freshmen and one sophomore surrounding the lone senior leader.

"They are making freshman mistakes, which is going to happen," Brower said. "The key to it is that our upper classmen have to pick up the slack. It is a team defense and as a unit you have to help each other.

However, Penn's focus will continue to be placed on improving their shooting percentage.

Against Villanova, the Red and Blue found the back of the net on 57 percent (16 of 28) of their shots, a 20 point boost from their season average.

Penn will also look to get off to a quick start.

"Play the first half, that's the key," Brower said. "All the games we've won, we have been ahead at the half. That's the key, playing 60 minutes and playing from ahead."

In order to get off to the quick start that Penn will be looking for, it will need another balanced attack from the offensive unit.

Against Villanova, the Quakers had 11 different players contribute goals. If the goal distribution and productivity continue Saturday for the Quakers, they shouldn't have much trouble dispatching an overmatched Harvard team.

"We're scoring more," Brower said. "I think if we play well we can win. Just keep playing with that confidence that we can score and put the ball in the net."

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