When a hot team with something to prove faces a team that simply doesn't have the talent to compete, the end is often brutal for the inferior team.
The Penn women's soccer team, unbeaten in its last eight games, took out its aggression on an overmatched Rider team yesterday afternoon.
The Quakers had something to prove, coming off a tough 1-1 tie against Dartmouth, a game in which they were ahead until the last few seconds.
And they proved it. Penn easily beat the Broncs, 5-0, in a game that featured a hat trick and a four-point performance by Penn senior forward Katy Cross.
"If you look over the past eight games, we're really hitting our stride," Penn coach Darren Ambrose said. "The girls know what's at stake, and they're playing like it, competing for everything."
That was certainly true yesterday.
In the first half, Penn (7-4-2, 3-0-1 Ivy) allowed Rider (9-4-2) to stick around.
"Today our performance in the first half wasn't what we wanted it to be," Ambrose said, as he was quick to show where the team needs to improve.
However, in that first half, Cross recorded the first of her three goals as well as an assist to junior Carolyn Cross to give the Quakers a 2-0 advantage.
In the second half, Penn came out firing on all cylinders. Junior Robin Watson netted her second penalty kick of the season only two minutes into the period.
Katy Cross then added two more goals, giving her four points on the day.
For Cross, that kind of production is nothing new. The game marked the fourth time she has recorded three or more points in a game. She leads the team with 24 points, including nine goals and six assists.
Cross, however, hadn't scored in either of her last two games.
"She came out to prove a point today," Ambrose said. "She's a very talented forward and a great finisher; today she showed it."
Ambrose, however, was quick to shoot down the notion that Penn is a one-star team.
"She's a player that we expect to score goals," Ambrose said. "Fortunately, this year, we've had other players scoring goals as well."
Penn is also coming into its own defensively, led by senior goalie Anna Halse.
The Rider game was Penn's fifth shutout since its eight game unbeaten streak started. During that streak, the Quakers have only given up three goals.
"Anna Halse has made some key saves at clutch moments," Ambrose said. "Consistent goalkeeping is what we need, and Anna has stepped up and provided that."
"Shutouts are a team effort though; our back four have been very good at denying opportunities to other teams," he said. "Team defending is a strength of ours."
Penn will need to play its best in the home stretch of the season over the next two weeks.
Penn faces Ivy League rivals Yale, Brown and No. 11 Princeton in games that will decide the Ivy League title.
At a time when it's easy to look ahead, Penn is resisting the temptation.
"The only game I care about is Yale right now," Ambrose said. "One game at a time."
But, if the Quakers can take advantage of opportunities and play the way they did in the second half yesterday, it should only be Princeton, on the last game of the season, that will stand between Penn and an Ivy League title and NCAA Tournament berth.
PENN 2 3 -- 5Rider 0 0 -- 0
Goals: 1. Cross, Katy (P) 10:47 (unassisted); 2. Cross, Carolyn (P) 19:27 (Cross, Katy; Bome); 3. Watson (P) 58:08 (penalty kick); 4. Cross, Katy (P) 63:36 (Campbell) 5. Cross, Katy (P) 75:16 (unassisted)
