Presented with a chance to break the all-time Penn assists mark, senior Katy Cross could have been filled with nerves or anticipation.
Sometimes when records are on the line, they can serve as a distraction to the team or the player in question.
However, Cross made sure that the drama did not build, as she fed sophomore Katie Campbell just 57 seconds into yesterday's 1-1 tie against San Francisco for the Quakers' opening goal.
In fact, netting her record-breaking 23rd career assist was never a distraction for Cross or the team, because she was unaware of the accomplishment until after the game.
Once given the news, Cross deflected the attention to her teammates.
"It's good to know there's a lot of people around me who can score goals and finish off plays," she said.
Penn coach Darren Ambrose was more vocal in his praise for Cross.
"It's not a secret she's led the team offensively for the past three years," he said. "She's a phenomenal player."
The challenge now for Cross, according to Ambrose, is to maintain her level of productivity while being a targeted player.
"Teams know too much about her now, so she's got to become more creative," Ambrose said.
Cross, a native of Claremont, Calif., was able to set the record in front of friends and family attending the game.
"Obviously it's always nice to go home," she said. "It's nice to have a little more support out here."
While the Quakers' first trip in program history to the Golden State was a momentous occasion for Cross, it was not quite as satisfying for the rest of the team.
Before battling to a 1-1 draw versus San Francisco yesterday, Penn dropped a 2-0 decision to No. 14 California on Friday.
"Cal was the best team we played so far this season," Ambrose said. "The speed of play and technical level we saw this weekend was superb."
Ambrose's praise for Cal is certainly a compliment, as the Quakers have already faced off against No. 5 Texas A&M; and No. 22 Villanova.
Cross believes that playing such a difficult early-season schedule will be beneficial to the Quakers in the long run.
"We're hoping to learn from the games," she said. "Hopefully they will get us ready for the Ivy season."
One thing that was evident this weekend was the resolve of the Quakers. Having traveled nearly 3,000 miles to California, Penn found itself in an early 2-0 hole against the Bears. The team battled for the next 70 minutes, gaining what amounted to a moral victory.
Just two days later, the Quakers fought for 110 minutes en route to a tie versus the Dons, surrendering only a penalty-kick goal following a dubious foul.
After a cross-country trip, the last thing the Quakers were looking forward to was an overtime game. But several other factors contributed to the grueling nature of the weekend.
"The level of competition was very good," Ambrose said. "The weekend was very draining and handling it was a challenge. Being able to play overtime is a great compliment to us."
Cross believes that the anticipation leading up to the trip made it tougher to focus.
"I think it was a bit hard for us to remember that we're out here to play," she said. "It was our first away game this season, so that made it a little tougher."
Given all the distractions and challenges for the Quakers this weekend, Ambrose feels the team has something to be proud of.
"Although we're unhappy that we didn't win, a tie was OK," he said.
