It's not easy to be 1-4-1.
After an offseason of high expectations, the Penn women's soccer team has won only one of its first six games.
That's not to say that the Quakers didn't think it was going to happen. Ever since they saw their schedule, the first six games were highlighted as extremely difficult, and that was intentional.
It's not that the Red and Blue didn't compete against the taut competition, they just had trouble winning. The stretch included an overtime loss to No. 22 Villanova, which Penn hadn't beaten in five years, and hard fought losses to No. 5 Texas A&M; and No. 14 Cal.
The Quakers' lone win was against Vanderbilt.
If the scheduling goes as planned, the early tough stretch should provide lessons and prepare the team for the most important part of its schedule, the Ivy League schedule.
That part of the season begins Sunday, when the Quakers take on Harvard at Rhodes Field. According to the players, they are more than ready for the Ivies to begin.
"Based on our record, it seems like it's been a struggle," Penn senior goalie Anna Halse explained. "But it's really prepared us for the Ivy League season."
The early-season schedule has prepared the Quakers in a number of ways that go beyond the simple mechanics of soccer.
"We've played in some big games," senior forward Rachelle Snyder said. "And we've found out that when we play like we can, we actually do well, and you can tell."
Those lessons will be valuable ones as the Ivy League schedule begins.
"I think it'll be competitive," Snyder said of the upcoming season.
And, of course, despite their record, the Red and Blue have taken away plenty of positives from non-league play.
"Our defense has really come together, and we're getting a lot of opportunities in front of the goal," Halse said. "We can really put it all together in our performance."
The Red and Blue have the chance to put it all together this weekend.
"It's a chance for us not to start over, but to have a clean slate from the non-league games," Snyder said. "Our way to make it to the NCAA Tournament is now through the Ivy League, so it has even more importance."
The new season begins on Sunday against a tough Harvard team, and Penn is ready for the challenge.
"Based on the struggle we've come through we've learned a lot and we're gonna come through strong on Sunday," Halse said.
