On the surface, there are two great barriers awaiting the Penn women's soccer team tonight against Villanova, its opening game in this weekend's Penn Invitational.
First, the big, round zero at the end of the Wildcats' 2008 record (5-0) is waiting for the Quakers - just like it was leading into last year's 4-0 Penn loss.
Second, Villanova's defense sports a goals against average of 1.00 this season and led the nation in shutout percentage and save percentage last year.
Yet Penn coach Darren Ambrose sees right through the apparent obstacles.
"You have to look at who they've played," said Ambrose, whose squad also takes on East Carolina (3-1) on Sunday. "[The Wildcats] opened up against UMBC, who I think has yet to score a single goal."
(The Retrievers did, in fact, knock one in during their fifth game of the year on Sept. 5.)
Similarly, Nova's second victim, Vermont, has only one win this season, beating Central Connecticut, 2-1. By this time last year, the Wildcats had already beaten the formidable squads of Princeton and Georgetown.
A big component of Villanova's 2007-08 defensive dominance last season was goalie Jillian Loyden, a top keeper in the conference - and member of the 2003 Big East Championship team - who has since graduated.
"[Loyden] was a big part of the reason that they gave us so few goals," said Ambrose. "They don't have the same presence in goal [this season]."
Coming off a dismantling of Robert Morris last weekend, the Red and Blue are more than eager to exploit this change in the Wildcats' makeup.
"We're working a lot on playing in transition and not giving [the opponent] any time to group back together," said sophomore defender Kaitlin Campbell, who has come up big for the Quakers with her strong backfield presence and a clutch assist against Robert Morris. "We want to exploit the weaknesses that they have."
Ambrose is careful not to overlook the opposite end of the Wildcats' talent spectrum, however.
"They defend by attacking," he said. "They are a very good attacking team."
He was referring to Big East Rookie of the Week Kaitlin Ryan and junior forward Grace Hawkins, both of whom have helped their squad bank 18 goals in five games.
Meanwhile, East Carolina shares Villanova's weak schedule. The Pirates barely edged out Western Carolina and UNC Wilmington, and only beat Division-II Francis Marion by a score of 2-0.
They have just five goals - from five different players - over four games.
With two of Penn's most potent weapons - juniors Jessica Fuccello and Jess Rothenheber - out with injuries, the young bloods will need to fill in the holes.
"[Our freshmen] have been playing really, really well for us," Campbell said. "Villanova doesn't know anything about them yet."
Penn's 0-10 all-time record against Villanova doesn't need to be rehashed for any of the girls, either.
"It means more to me than just another game on the schedule," senior tri-captain Natalie Capuano said. "I want to beat them more than anything."
