W. Soccer | Hawks set to circle Rhodes

Despite his women's soccer team winning its last two games - against University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Harvard - by a combined score of 5-0, coach Darren Ambrose still feels that there's room for improvement.

"I thought we were OK against Harvard [on Saturday]," Ambrose said. "I don't think we were at our best, by any means."

The Red and Blue can get one step closer, though, at 7:30 p.m. tonight, when they take on Saint Joseph's (6-2-1) at Rhodes Field.

Although Penn (4-3-1) beat the Hawks, 6-0, last season, it will face a confident, revamped squad this time around.

The Hawks are riding a seven-game unbeaten streak in which they have outscored their opponents, 15-4. Freshman goalkeeper Cara Critchlow made 21 saves in their first two conference games and was named Atlantic 10 co-Rookie of the Week.

And Ambrose and his players know that when two Philadelphia teams meet, anything and everything can happen.

The Quakers lost their first Philly game of the season, falling, 3-2, to Villanova on Sept. 12 at the Penn Invitational.

"All the city games are pretty hard," sophomore forward and reigning Ivy League Player of the Week Kristin Kaiser said. "It's going to be a battle."

This battle of brotherly love will provide a good litmus test for the Red and Blue.

They know that their performance against St. Joe's will show them whether they deserve to sit at the head of the Ancient Eight's table.

It's "important from the standpoint of momentum that we come out and play well," Ambrose said.

"I think the St. Joe's game represents a good opportunity to correct some things, for us to prove that we're for real."

Still, Ambrose and the Quakers know that they dare not forget one important fact: 100 percent "real"-ness is unattainable.

"I don't think you can ever say 'we've arrived,'" Ambrose said. "There are always little things."

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