W. Soccer has strong group of recruits

Contrary to what the Penn women's soccer team might make you think, it is not normal to bring in 21 new players in two years.

But that is exactly what Penn coach Darren Ambrose had to do in 2001 and 2002. This year, however, he will bring only seven new players to the program, and can enjoy the luxury of a Quakers squad with enough experience to once again contend for the Ivy League championship.

"It's a solid class from top to bottom," Ambrose said. "We got the positions we wanted, we got depth in all the positions."

The new players hail from five states and bring experience from all across the country, including the Philadelphia region.

Ambrose has brought in two players from Southern California, defender Megan Boys and forward Samantha Spencer; one from Seattle, defender Cathy Roe; one from Massachussetts, midfielder Katie Campbell; one from upstate New York, Erica Messina; and two from the Philadelphia region, midfielder/defender Tracy Bienenfeld and goalkeeper Ashley McCloskey.

Ambrose conceded that many of them may not find a place in his starting lineup right away, unlike the past two years where players such as Katy Cross and Jenna Linden have had an instant impact on the team.

"There's a couple of players that may emerge but we'll wait and see," he said. "They've got a lot to learn when they come in."

The Sheffield, England native is more than happy with this situation, however.

"We're not looking at the freshmen saying, I hope they come in and settle, mature, handle the pressure," he said. "They are going to have a chance to play if they prove that, but there is no expectation of, 'you have to play every minute and score ten goals.'"

"I think that's how it should be," he added.

Philadelphia's youth soccer programs are well-represented in the Class of 2007. Bienenfeld, a Lower Moreland native, played for Downingtown Spirit, twice winning the Pennsylvania State Championship and earning the Lower Moreland Female Athlete of the Year in 2002. McCloskey played for FC Delco, arguably the most famous youth soccer program in the Northeast, and Spirit United, winning four EPSYA Championships while attending the Andover School.

"We've recruited the best players in the region, the best players in Philadelphia," he said.

"At the same time, Penn is a very competitive school academically," he added, stating that he loses "a lot of these players to scholarship situations."

Of the seven new players, Ambrose cited Boys, Bienenfeld, and Messina as having the potential to make an immediate impact with the team. Boys "has got the potential to step in," Ambrose said. Bienenfeld, recovering from a knee injury, has "a good chance" to play if she is fit come the fall.

The biggest praise was reserved for Messina, whom Ambrose called "a dark horse [with] tremendous speed."

"We're just waiting to see if she comes in and settles well and if she's ready to step into this level," he said. "I think she's close."

The other four members of the Class of 2007 have impressive credentials as well.

Campbell led her club team, the Stars of Mass Soccer Club, to two state championships.

Roe has been a member of the Washington State Olympic Development Program for the last six years, earning invitations to the Region IV regionals camp from 1999-2002, and Spencer teamed with Boys for Southern California United to win the CSL Premier Youth Soccer League Championship this past season.

Looking ahead to the fall, Ambrose is optimistic that the Red and Blue can recapture the form that saw them ranked in the Soccer America Top 25 at the beginning of last season, with the Ancient Eight title squarely in sight.

He admits that the ranking "was generous on their part," calling it "a tremendous compliment but also a lot of pressure. I don't think we knew what that meant."

"We're certainly in the ballpark, we just have to come back fit and we have to come back hungry," he said.

Ambrose singled out Linden and fellow sophomore Carolyn Cross as players poised for breakout seasons at Rhodes Field.

"We've got the ability, and it's time to step up."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.