There's a little extra riding on the Penn-Cornell field hockey game for Quakers goalie Liz Schlossberg.
When Penn (2-3, 1-0 Ivy) travels to Ithaca, N.Y., tomorrow, high school teammates Schlossberg and the Big Red's Lizzie Goldblatt will be looking at each other from opposite sides of the turf.
Schlossberg will be guarding the Quakers net, while Goldblatt will be standing in front of Cornell's.
Both come from field hockey powerhouse Bethesda-Chevy Chase high school in Maryland, which is a consistent contender for that state's championship.
"Lizzie and I are really good friends - she's a great goalie." Schlossberg said. "We've been heckling each other a lot for the upcoming game."
And that's because this game holds more significance.
"It'll be a fun game, but it's one of the more important ones because it's the last one we'll get to play against each other," Schlossberg said. "It'll decide who will get the total bragging rights."
Schlossberg will graduate this spring, but Goldblatt will remain with the Big Red for another year.
So far this season, Goldblatt has only allowed one goal in three games, while Schlossberg has given up eight in five. Goldblatt recorded 11 saves and Schlossberg has made 33.
The interplay against these two players will unfold under the backdrop of the clash of two teams undefeated in league play.
Penn knocked off Harvard, while Cornell dealt Columbia a 3-0 shutout opening weekend.
Cornell will prove to be a formidable opponent for the Quakers, as the Big Red is riding the momentum of three straight wins - the first time it has started off its season in that fashion since 1995.
And that will make one of the biggest challenges for the Quakers tomorrow a mental one. As the clock starts ticking, Penn will have to remember that the score is 0-0.
"We talked about that a lot," sophomore midfielder Margaretha Ehret said. "We've just got to concentrate on our game. We can't worry about what the other team's records are, but instead what worked for us when we play."
And the Red and Blue should remember its most recent win over Lafayette as an example, as the team was able to rack up a season-high three goals during it.
While boosting the Quakers' confidence, the game also helped in other areas.
"It was good preparation because we got to play on the turf that Cornell plays on," Ehret said.
Cornell also defeated Lafayette earlier this season, handing the Leopards a 2-0 shutout.
The Quakers will have to be on their game tomorrow to avoid the same fate.
