Penn women's soccer shows its strength in goal

If you take a look at the women’s soccer team’s roster for the 2014 season, there might be a few names you don’t recognize. After all, the team is young — over half of the roster is underclassmen, many of which have never started against a conference foe.

But look to the Quakers' goal, and you will not be surprised.

Though the season is only six games in, senior Katherine Myhre and junior Kalijah Terilli have guarded Penn’s net fiercely, tallying three shut outs, 24 saves and only six goals allowed.

At this point in the season, coach Darren Ambrose has not settled on a starting goalie, rotating both Myhre and Terilli through the net in Penn’s last six games.

“They both have worked hard,” he said. “Everyone thought Kalijah was coming back, with the U-23 national team experience and a great year last year. What it shows you is you can’t be complacent at this level.”

Ambrose’s comment speaks to the depth of the goalkeeping on Penn’s squad. In fact, Myhre and Terilli are just two of Penn’s three goalies. Sophomore Kitty Crook also gets reps during practice, but has yet to see playing time in the net this season.

All three players feed off each others’ talent during practice to push themselves.

“If I can provide a high work rate, that just incentivizes everyone else to train with me and work that hard as well,” Myhre said.

This dynamic translates to games as well. Even though only one player can be holding down the Quakers' net, “we all have the team’s success in the front of our minds,” Terilli said.  “We push each other to work our hardest and be the best that we can be in whatever way we can.”

With such a strong work ethic, Myhre and Terilli’s numbers from last season should be no surprise. After allowing only seven goals in 15 games played in her first year in the net for Penn, Terilli earned first-team All-Ivy, third-team NSCAA All-Region honors and a trip to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., to train with the U-23 national team.

“Wearing the USA crest on an Olympic training facility is one of the coolest things I’ve ever done,” Terilli said. “The standard of clean technique and precise movements that they set is definitely something that I aspire to.”

Terilli walked away from training camp with more than just an increase in national pride, though.

“This year I hope to bring my communication to a new level by drawing from the confidence I gained by being asked to the national camp this summer,” she said.

The mental side of goaltending has proved to be a worthy challenge for Myhre as well. “Something that I’ve always struggled with is that if you make one mistake, it is not the end of the world,” she said. “Especially now that we are going into games that really matter, it is even more important to know that if you make one bad play in the game,  you've got to get back in it.”

This kind of confidence from veterans in the net will be key for when the Quakers open conference play against Harvard (5-2-0) on Saturday. The game will likely be Penn’s toughest test of the season — the Red and Blue’s only loss in the 2013 season came at the hands of the Crimson. Given both team’s history of success, the outcome of Saturday’s came could very likely determine the conference champion come November.

With so much at stake, both Myhre and Terilli understand the importance of getting their team in a groove from the first minute. “We don’t quite know each other and how to play,” Myhre said. “But we can hang with [Harvard] and hopefully we can play as a team and show really well.”

According to Terilli, “our biggest challenge … will be settling down and playing the way I know we can.

“It will be up to the veteran players to project calm and confidence so the whole team can relax and do what we do.”

And what they’re hoping to do on Saturday is win.

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