There were two halves to this non-conference season for Penn women's soccer.
After a slow start to the season that saw the Quakers (5-3-1) win only one out of five games, the Red and Blue have hit a hot streak. The team is currently on a four-game win streak, with senior forward Mia Fuss offering up a number of standout performances.
The Quakers will look to continue that momentum into Ivy League play on Saturday at Dartmouth. But, but before the conference slate begins, The Daily Pennsylvanian took a look at how the team has fared so far.
Initial difficulties
The Quakers opened the season in an away match against George Mason. On the attack, Penn struggled, only achieving one shot on goal in the full 90 minutes. Penn goalkeeper Megan Graves made three saves in the game but could not stop Patriots midfielder Molly Starner on a penalty kick, resulting in a 1-0 defeat.
Returning home to Rhodes Field, the Quakers faced FDU in a 0-0 shutout for both teams. The Quakers outworked their opponents on offense, making 11 shots to FDU’s five. Despite taking more shots, Penn struggled to find the back of the net.
In their matchup against George Washington in late August, Penn ensured it would not be shut out again. The Red and Blue came out firing, creating three attempts in the first 18 minutes.
Senior forward Abbey Cook scored Penn’s first goal, driving the ball into the bottom of the net. In the second half, the Quaker chemistry thrived, with junior forward Lily White threading the ball to Fuss, who brought the game to 2-0. Sophomore defender Casey Forman put the game to bed with a goal in the 83rd minute. George Washington defender Julia Bilal responded with a goal of her own, but it was too little, too late, and Penn took home the first victory of the season. On defense, junior defender Eden Veneema held it down, playing the full 90 minutes and thwarting attempts from the Revolutionaries.
Unable to build on the momentum of their victory over George Washington, the Quakers dropped their next two matches, struggling to deliver goals. In the match at Stony Brook (4-0-4), the Seawolves dominated possession for most of the game, managing 17 shots compared to the Quakers’ 11.
In their loss against Villanova University, Penn’s defense shone again. Freshman goalkeeper Ria Desai made her Penn debut, making five saves and only allowing Villanova one goal.
Despite struggles on the pitch, the team’s culture never faltered. Reflecting on the transition to college soccer, freshman forward Camarin Choi wrote, “Having teammates who make me feel like I belong and always push me to get better made the switch super easy.”
Building game by game
The Quakers turned their season around in a blowout against St. Joseph’s. The team found their rhythm, and sophomore forward Hailey Adamsky stepped up as a playmaker with two assists in the game, while Choi scored her first goal of the season. Graves and Desai split goalkeeping responsibilities, collectively blocking all four of the Hawks’ shots on goal.
The offensive and defensive successes brought a new confidence to the team that carried into their match against Towson. With Penn seeking to extend their win streak beyond one game and Towson celebrating senior day, each team was desperate for the win.
There was constant communication required to break the Tigers’ defensive 3-6-1 formation. This constant teamwork resulted in five shots on goal and two saves for the Quakers as the game seemed to be in a deadlock. With less than four minutes left on the clock, White passed the ball off to senior forward Magalí Capdevila. A seasoned vet, Capdevila took the shot and delivered the game winner.
A similar situation occurred in the match against Division II team Jefferson, Penn’s first non-Division I opponent since 1995. Despite an aggressive start and an early goal from Cook, the Quakers became passive, and the Rams were able to catch them off guard at the beginning of the second half — it took Jefferson 21 seconds from kickoff to put the ball into goal.
Coach Krissy Turner thought that her team was “outcompeted” in the matchup, despite being able to pull through with a late goal for the win.
“That’s not going to be the level that we’re going to need to play if we expect to get results in the Ivy League,” Turner said after the match.
But Penn was able to bounce back in its following game. Against St. John’s, the Quakers effectively applied pressure in the second half, leading to a Fuss goal in the 56th minute. The Red and Blue finished the game with six shots on goal, their third-highest total on the season.
Looking ahead
In its past four games, Penn has posted three shutouts. As the Quakers start playing conference opponents, results will hinge on the performance of their defense. Graves in goal as well as sophomore defenders Casey Forman and Lauren Anderson have been very reliable so far, stringing together a number of solid games.
Forman has also scored two goals so far, tied with Cook for second on the team. It is Fuss who leads the team in goals scored, with three out of her four goals coming during the Quakers’ current win streak.
“As a senior, it's my last time playing each team, so I have confidence in our team that we're going to work hard and perform well,” Cook said.
Penn is unbeaten at home thus far, but has struggled on the road, only posting one win.
“We’ve been improving every single game and playing, you know, a pretty good level, and now it’s about going on the road and doing it again,” Turner said after the game against Jefferson — a statement that still holds true looking ahead to the weekend.
Penn travels to Dartmouth for its Ivy League opener on Saturday, Sept. 26.
