Despite dominating time of possession and outshooting Cornell 11-1 on Friday, the Penn women's soccer team had trouble finding the back of the net in its first Ivy League matchup of the season.
The Quakers rely on precision passes to set up scoring opportunities, but their timing has been slightly off at times during the season. Coach Darren Ambrose said the team was "frustrated" with its offensive output in spite of its 1-0 victory over the Big Red.
The Quakers had several scoring chances, including 10 corner kicks, but they were unable to convert. Cornell did, on an own goal, to give Penn the win.
"I thought we created a lot on offense," said junior defender Eileen Larkin, "but it was little things in finishing that [were] the problem."
Sophomore forward Mara Fintzi said that the team needs to work on developing a "composed attack," rather than rushing on offense and immediately sending the ball deep.
Although the Quakers have averaged over two goals per game, they have been sporadically tentative on offense over the course of the young season. Feast - a 4-1 win over Robert Morris and a 6-0 whitewash of Saint Joseph's - or famine.
In early September, the Quakers lost 1-0 to Michigan State despite a 12-9 edge in shots and a 9-1 advantage in corner kicks. After the game, Ambrose said the team lacked aggression in the second half and instead "played too much into their style." Michigan State forcefully attacked the net and ended up scoring "on a whim and a prayer."
Five games later, the Quakers endured a 4-0 loss to Villanova. The score might suggest that the game was a blowout, but the Quakers showed some good signs on offense and had several buildups toward the goal.
The Quakers were unable to capitalize on their opportunities, whereas Villanova converted on four out of its five best scoring chances.
"Our ideas were right but we didn't execute," Ambrose said. "We didn't connect on passes; we looked out of sync. Our attack was too individual and we had no combinations."
As sophomore forward Jessica Fuccello put it, "our last pass was off by a little. We didn't seem to get good shots off."
The Quakers have outscored their opponents 33-9 overall this season on their way to a 7-2-1 record. Still, with the tough Ivy League schedule ahead, they might have to take their offense to the next level to continue their early success.
The Quakers do not have any seniors on this year's roster, so perhaps their chemistry will continue to improve over the course of the season. That would be bad news for the rest of the Ivy League as the Quakers look to build on their 1-0 start.
