For the second time in two weeks, Penn will be looking to rebound from a disappointing loss to an Ivy foe, this time against a weak non-conference Rider team tonight at Rhodes Field.
The Quakers (7-4-1, 1-3 Ivy) are coming off a 1-0 defeat to league leader Dartmouth. The only goal resulted from a breakdown in communication, as the Red and Blue turned the ball over in its defensive third and goalkeeper Cailly Carroll was caught out of position.
That loss was especially deflating because it dropped Penn even further out of the Ivy title race.
Although the Broncs (4-7-1, 2-3-0 MAAC) have had an inconsistent season, their spirits have been buoyed by a 1-0 win over conference rival Siena Saturday.
Recent history favors the Quakers in this matchup: they handily defeated Rider 5-0 two years ago and also won 2-1 last year. Nonetheless, Penn isn't taking anything for granted this time around.
"We're going to have to be pretty patient and disciplined as a team," assistant coach Pete Pososki said. "They have some good players who could cause us some problems on the counter-attacks."
Two players Penn will be sure to watch are midfielder Kelli Burke and forward Stephanie Madden. Each player has four goals and one assist. The two have accounted for half of Rider's scoring offense.
Mental mistakes will also have to be avoided. The Quakers have been plagued with them this season, particularly in their two most recent losses versus Dartmouth and Columbia.
"Everyone's pretty upset about this weekend. Hopefully, that will give everyone enough spark for the game," senior defender Tracy Bienenfeld said.
Again, the Red and Blue will be without two key players: forward Michelle Drugan and defender Rachel Fletcher. While there are many other talented starters and experienced backups, there is some concern that the already-small squad cannot sustain many more injuries without seriously affecting its depth.
With the Quakers effectively out of the Ivy race, the focus of the season has changed somewhat, especially considering the youth of the team. According to Pososki, now the focus is "learning how to compete, and getting ourselves in a respectable position at the end of the season."
Bienenfeld, who is one of only two seniors on the team, said she is disappointed to leave Penn without competing for an Ivy title this year.
Still, as captain, she's trying to focus on the future of the team.
The said the rest of the season is about giving "the younger girls a springboard for next year," she said.
