Mobile defense keys W. Soccer's victory

Celebrating their first overtime win in three seasons, the Penn women's soccer team dominated Lafayette on Saturday in every way -- except on the scoreboard.

Shots on goal: Penn, 13; Lafayette, three. Despite the 2-1 score, this statistic shows the game was lopsided.

And it was the defense that dominated. With crisp, controlled passes long line drives and airborne crosses, the Quakers' passing clearly marked them as the better team on the field.

It was just a matter of getting the ball up to the offensive end for a scoring opportunity. In a game in which Lafayette effectively clogged the midfield to limit scoring chances, Penn's defense had to be every bit as disciplined as its counterparts.

It was.

"Our coach kept telling us to push forward and get the ball up to the offense, so we took our time and made sure to play smart in the back so we could set up some runs," sophomore defender Robin Watson said.

Penn defenders Watson and freshman Cathy Roe kept the Leopards' offensive line guessing as they passed the ball back and forth to each other, also known as "changing fields." This effectively shifts the center of play. Their execution, along with that of juniors Heather Issing and Jessica Woodward, resulted in a nearly impenetrable Penn defense -- giving the Leopards an unusually low number of total shots -- five -- and shots on goal.

Penn's movement of the ball kept the Leopards' offensive line on their toes, not only because of its intelligent play, but also because the Quakers seemingly never tired. Two weeks of double-session practices helped carry Penn to its first win of the season. It was these practices that ensured Penn played with the same quickness in the second overtime period as it did during the first five minutes.

"Passing a lot helped to take the pressure off and encouraged us to push forward," Watson said.

The Quakers searched the entire game to find open space in the front line.

"If you keep passing the ball and moving it around, you can open up and spread out the field to create opportunities," Woodward said. "And that's what we were trying to do."

The controlled play of Watson, Woodward and Issing ultimately kept the Leopards away from the net.

It was also what helped the inexperienced Roe get through her first game of the season. Nerves aside, Roe felt her teammates provided the best comfort to her on the field.

"The older girls really helped to put me at ease -- they played well and it made me step it up," Roe said.

The defense consistently prevented Lafayette from pressuring senior goalie Vanessa Scotto. They were everywhere at once, holding the ball, closing off lanes and stopping rushes before they formed.

Or, in Jessica Woodward's words: "We ate the space."

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