Freshman connection fuels triumph in Ithaca

Freshman Jess Rothenheber always knows where her roommate is.

On Saturday, Rothenheber saw Jessica Fuccello cut between two defenders and pass her the ball, which Rothenheber converted for the game's only goal in the women's soccer team's 1-0 victory over Cornell.

Rothenheber wouldn't take all the credit for the 26th-minute goal, as the play was made possible by an exceptional pass. "Jess did a great job of holding the ball and distributing to me," she said. "From there it was just a matter of placement."

Rothenheber deposited the ball in the bottom right corner of the net for her first collegiate goal. She remained even-keeled about her achievement.

"I was excited about my first goal, but we have a lot more games and hopefully more goals," she said.

Penn figures to have many firsts with its young team, and this was the first Ivy League victory for the team's many newcomers.

With the win over the Big Red, the Quakers improved to 5-2-1 overall and 1-1-0 in the Ivy League.

Freshman goalie Sara Rose recorded the shutout in her first game in the net, after earning the start over freshman Cailly Carroll. Rose made four saves and protected the one-goal lead.

Penn coach Darren Ambrose said that he would have liked to have given Rose more of a cushion, but a second goal proved elusive.

The Quakers' best chance came on a shot by Fuccello in the 65th minute, but Cornell goalie Carlyn Swensen blocked the attempt.

Even without an insurance tally, the Quakers were still able to control the game. Aided by a strong headwind, the Red and Blue outshot the Big Red 10-4 in the second half.

"We didn't kill them off, but we controlled the rhythm of the game," Ambrose said. "A win is a win in the Ivy League."

The victory snapped a two-game losing streak, and without any momentum coming in, an early lead was vital. "We knew we had to score first," freshman forward Mara Fintzi said. "We have been behind early in the last few games, and we didn't want that role again"

It was clear that the Quakers wanted this win bad. The Big Red managed only one league victory last year, so if a title is to be within the team's grasp, wins against teams such as Cornell are vital in giving the team confidence for the rest of Ancient Eight play.

"In the Ivy League, each game is such a battle that every win is big," Rothenheber said.

The Quakers hope to turn the victory into a winning streak with a game against Lafayette tomorrow before they resume Ivy League play on Saturday when Columbia comes to Rhodes Field.

"If we play our game, we will win," Fintzi said. "Our losses have been our own fault. We haven't played a team we couldn't beat."

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