Turn Back the Clock: An historic win over Princeton

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With last week’s disappointing loss to Brown that ended basically every big streak the Quakers had going, this week’s segment will step away from the football field. Although the Red and Blue are not out of Ivy title contention yet, unless they get some help, the best they can do is clinch a share of the championship. So, in anticipation of the football, soccer and field hockey games against Princeton set for homecoming this weekend, this week’s piece will take a look at an historic victory over the Tigers for the Penn women’s soccer team. And as we Turn Back the Clock, don’t forget to turn back your clocks one hour on Sunday. Enjoy the extra sleep.

On this day in Penn sports history …

November 3, 2007: The Penn women’s soccer team was coming off a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Brown in double overtime the week before. The Quakers came into the match against the Bears 4-0 in Ivy play, but Brown’s goal in the 110th minute – with only 18 seconds left to play – crushed Penn’s hopes of an undefeated Ivy season. Still, with a win at Rhodes Field over the Tigers, who were also coming into the game with a 4-1 conference record, the Quakers could clinch a share of the Ivy title, and with some help, they could also secure the Ivy’s automatic bid to the NCAA College Cup.

The game went back and forth throughout the first half – neither team could generate much offense. Shots between the Quakers and the Tigers were even at halftime, 2-2. During the intermission, coach Darren Ambrose issued a change of strategy in an attempt to create more offensive opportunities: he encouraged his team to kick the ball into open space more often and not worry about making the perfect pass.

His shift in strategy worked, as Penn outshot Princeton in the second half, 6-1, with three shots on goal. Still though, the Red and Blue were unable to convert, and the game headed into overtime.

For the extra period, Ambrose again made another change, looking for an offensive spark. He replaced sophomore Jessica Fuccello – the team’s leading scorer with 10 goals – with freshman Kristin Kaiser, who had just two scores on the season. The young forward had this to say on the coach’s substitution:

He told me to warm up before overtime and what was going through my mind was just ‘oh my God, I have to get in there. I have to prove myself.’

With a 1-0 win over Harvard the following week, the Quakers won the program’s first-ever outright Ivy championship. In the NCAAs, however, they would lose in the first round to James Madison, 2-0. Kaiser, the hero from the game, would go on to captain the Penn team that won the outright Ivy title last season. This year’s soccer team may not be able to win another outright title, but with a win over Princeton and a Harvard loss to Columbia, the Quakers can claim a share. NCAA tournament hopes rely on receiving an at-large bid.