W. Lacrosse set to battle Ancient Eight's top team

If there has ever been a time this season for the Penn women's lacrosse team to prove itself, it's tomorrow.

At 1 p.m. on Franklin Field, the Quakers will host No. 7 Dartmouth, a team perched alone atop the Ivy League standings with a 4-0 record.

Tied with Cornell for fifth in Ancient Eight competition, the Quakers have found their momentum a little over halfway through the season. Currently riding a four-game winning streak, the Quakers have orchestrated a complete turnaround.

Just two weeks ago, the Quakers were 2-7 overall and 0-2 in Ivy League action, having dropped five consecutive games.

"It's really nice to pull off these wins, especially against ranked teams. We've finally gelled as a team, and everything's come together," Penn women's lacrosse coach Karin Brower said.

With a combination of confidence that comes with decisive wins over Columbia and Villanova and heeding Brower's insistence of intensity from the first whistle, the Quakers have conquered their slump -- recording a combined 55 goals and keeping their opponents to just 19 goals in their last four games. The winning streak peaked with a 13-9 victory over No. 11 Penn State on Tuesday.

Although the Quakers cannot replay their season with their newfound vitality, they are counting on this drive to dominate the three games that remain to be played, starting with Dartmouth.

The Big Green, however, are not going to give up without a fight.

"Dartmouth is young and fast. They play with a lot of hustle, like they've got nothing to lose," Brower said. "But if we focus on not playing scared and we play like we know we can play, we'll be fine."

Dartmouth narrowly defeated Cornell and Yale, both 7-6, teams that prevailed over the Quakers, 11-6 and 10-8, respectively. Dartmouth's Katieanne Christian, the team's third leading scorer, is the reigning Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week.

Christian recorded three goals on three shots, five ground balls and forced three turnovers as Dartmouth edged then-No. 8 Syracuse, 14-11.

The sophomore also notched two goals in less than two minutes to lead the Big Green to a 7-6 victory over Cornell.

The sole blemishes on the Big Green schedule have been a loss to the second-ranked team in the country, Maryland, and a narrow defeat by No. 14 James Madison.

Since then, the Big Green have rolled over five teams by a combined score of 64-41. The Quakers, however, boast the achievement of coming off the convincing upset of the Nittany Lions on Tuesday.

"Right now, we're really just thinking about Dartmouth. And when that game is over, we'll focus on Princeton," Brower said. "We're just taking it one step at a time."

If successful in their final games, the Quakers have the chance to achieve something they have not yet experienced under Brower's command -- a winning Ivy League record.

"They'll be gunning for us just as much as we'll be gunning for them," Brower said. "So may the best team win."

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