Alone in the cage, senior field hockey goalie Liz Schlossberg stood face to face with Harvard's Tamara Sobek-Rosnick. This is what the game had come down to -- a scoreless 60 minutes of play resulting in a penalty stroke with just under 10 minutes to go.
"The stroke was just an unfortunate event," Schlossberg said. "It was very unlucky."
The Quakers' luck seemed to have run out. Sobek-Rosnick lifted the stroke into the upper right corner of the goal and just beyond Schlossberg's reach. Her point would be the only mark on the board, giving the Crimson a 1-0 win and handing Penn a loss in its opening Ivy League match.
Last year, the Quakers and the Crimson shared the Ivy League title -- both finishing at 6-1 -- so it was only fitting that they were back at it again for the opener on Saturday.
The Quakers (2-2, 0-1 Ivy) and the Crimson (3-0, 1-0) stepped onto the field each determined to start off conference play with a win. Penn managed only two shots to Harvard's six in the first half, but earned two penalty corners -- one more than the Crimson. While each team struggled to edge out its opponent, the clock ticked away, counting 60 minutes of scoreless, competitive play.
"The whole game we were very evenly matched," said Schlossberg, who had six saves on Saturday.
Despite the disappointment of the closely contested game, the players contrast the loss to last week's upset at Drexel. While the Quakers suffered against Drexel from a lack of mental concentration, their game at Harvard was focused and solid. The pivotal moments of the penalty stroke teach a hard lesson of the power and importance of luck.
"Our team was totally prepared mentally and physically," Schlossberg said.
"We had had two great practices before the game. But we were just unlucky and we didn't take advantage of our opportunities."
Though Penn has now seen four different opponents, the team has yet to play in the comfort of their home field. With a record of 2-2, the Quakers have fared well on the road; still, they are looking forward to a strong opening at Franklin Field.
"Everyone is enthusiastic about our upcoming games against Lafayette [and] Cornell," Schlossberg said.
Playing away games "hasn't affected us so much as to make everyone really excited to finally get to play at home in front of our fans and friends."
Penn will have a chance to earn a win in front of Red and Blue supporters on Franklin Field Wednesday, when they will take on Lafayette.
PENN 0 0 -- 0Harvard 0 1 -- 1
Scoring: 1st Half: None
2nd Half: 1, Harvard, Sobek-Rosnick 1, 60:01.
