The Northwestern women's soccer team already had history made this season. In its game against Florida Atlantic on Sunday, senior forward Kelsey Hans scored her 30th career goal, putting her atop the school's all-time list.
But Penn (3-1) will try to make some history of its own by handing the Wildcats (5-1) their first-ever loss at Lakeside Field tonight. Then Sunday the Quakers will face the team against whom Northwestern gained its first home win, Loyola-Chicago (1-4).
For the second weekend in a row, Penn sees a Big Ten school, followed by a much weaker opponent. Last week Penn was defeated by Michigan State 1-0 before wiping out St. Joseph's 6-0 at Rhodes Field.
"Northwestern has had some great results so far this season," Ambrose said. "They will bring a lot of the same things to the table that Michigan State did, they are athletic and they can play with speed. I expect it to be a passionate, emotional match. It is up to us to impose ourselves in the match."
The main concern for the Red and Blue coming out of the Michigan State game was their ability to finish around the net.
While some of those concerns may have been thwarted by the six-goal effort against the Hawks, the Quakers will have to prove they can do it against a quality defensive opponent. Tonight should be a good litmus test as the Wildcats have given up just under a goal per game on the season.
A lot of the responsibility will fall on the shoulders of sophomore forward Jessica Fuccello, who leads the team with three goals, but missed on a couple of golden opportunities against the Spartans.
Fuccello should be helped by Molly Weir, who has shown an ability to set up teammates with precise crosses in the box.
Northwestern enters its second season following a much-publicized hazing scandal that shook the college sports world and led to the resignation of coach Jenny Haigh. But with Stephanie Erickson taking over as head coach and the opening of a new FieldTurf stadium, it seems the program has left its problems behind.
As for Sunday's opponent, Loyola-Chicago should be a relatively easy challenge, as suggested by its recent loss to La Salle, whom the Quakers perennially take out.
An area of intimidation may come from the venue itself. The match will take place at Toyota Park, the 20,000-seat home of MLS' Chicago Fire.
And it's got to be nice to be treated like a pro for once.
