'Improved' Harvard team next for W. Lax

Before heading back on the road, the Penn's women's lacrosse team still has to tie up one loose end at home.

The Quakers (8-1, 3-0 Ivy) look to extend their six-game win streak against Harvard at Franklin Field on Sunday.

On paper, the Quakers should breeze to a win. Harvard (7-3, 1-1 Ivy) has recorded all of its wins against mediocre teams, and lost last week 13-6, to Yale - the same squad that Penn defeated, 10-4.

Despite the fact that the Quakers beat the Crimson 15-3 last year, Penn coach Karin Brower believes the Crimson are better than their 5-11 campaign a year ago.

"It's definitely an improved Harvard team this year," she said. "They have a new coach this year. She's an excellent coach. We expect them to be a better team than last year."

But as the Red and Blue learned Wednesday, there's no such thing as a sure win.

Fresh off a 13-2 pummeling of Columbia, Penn confidently stepped out to an early 6-2 lead over No. 15 Johns Hopkins. But after a slew of costly errors in the second period, the Quakers needed a last second save by goalie Sarah Waxman to seal the win.

If the Crimson plan on winning Sunday, they'll have to do a better job of scoring than they did against Boston University on Wed. Harvard mustered just six goals to BU's 18.

That Terriers team is essentially the same one Penn bounced out of the first round of last year's playoffs 11-5.

Even if Harvard is able to get the ball from a Penn offense that averages just under 11 goals per game, the Crimson will still have to maintain possession.

That won't be easy against the likes of senior Tarah Kirnan, who is among the top 15 players in causing turnovers.

If Harvard finds itself in a position to shoot, it'll still have to get by Waxman.

She's been brilliant through nine games, assembling a 5.80 goals against average and .475 save percentage that puts her at No. 1 in the nation.

For now, the Quakers just hope to notch the expected win before heading to No. 2 Princeton on April 16.

- Staff writer Zach Klitzman contributed reporting to this article.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.