The leaves are turning and the likes of Harvard are coming down to Rhodes Field in Philadelphia. It's a sign that women's soccer has entered that time of the year when there's no turning back - the gauntlet of Ivy League play.
Coming off Penn's first outright Ancient Eight championship, the players are well aware of the added importance. The thought of defending that title is more than enough to consume the team's energy as it looks towards tomorrow's match against the Crimson (3-2-3).
"There's a lot of pride involved for our kids," coach Darren Ambrose said. "It's a very important game. We're going to make it as hard as we can for [Harvard.]"
Though the Quakers (3-3-1) have certainly shown their ability to frustrate teams, as they did in a 3-0 dismantling of beleaguered University of Maryland, Baltimore County on Wednesday, the Crimson have mettle that may prove a greater challenge.
Harvard players have a habit of earning praise early in their collegiate careers. The Crimson's class of 2012 was ranked 29th in the nation and No.2 in the Northeast by Soccer Buzz Magazine. Freshman midfielder/forward Melanie Baskind has played in seven games and netted three goals, including the game-winner in the season opener against Davidson.
The Crimson also boast the past two years' Ivy League Rookies of the Year, junior Lauren Mann and sophomore Katherine Sheeleigh.
Of course, Penn has some youth of its own to bring to the field; three freshmen have scored for the Quakers this season, with defender Ursula Lopez-Palm knocking in a pair.
Waiting for Penn's offensive onrush will be goalkeeper Laura Dale, who has saved 21 of the 22 shots on Harvard's goal this year, making for an impressive .955 save percentage.
Ambrose insists that his gameplan will not change for the Ivy schedule, despite the added pressure.
"We play very well [at home]," he said. "We're a good attacking team. We just have to be sharp . and we can't have mental lapses."
For both the Quakers and the Crimson, this will be their first conference match-up - a must-win for two teams that want to send a disquieting message to the rest of the league.
