Three Up, Three Down: W. Soccer vs. NJIT

Tonight, the Quakers will take on the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders, a match that will most likely help the Penn squad maintain their momentum heading into a long stretch of Ivy matches. It will be tough for Penn to overtake first-place Harvard, but it all begins with the first step: lowering the Highlanders. Here’s three up and three down:

THREE UP—

Penn’s Defense: The Quakers’ defense has been almost impenetrable this season, resulting in six 1-0 Penn wins. The Red and Blue have also collected an impressive nine shutout victories in 13 games this season. While NJIT has the ability to generate shots on goal, they have shown inconsistent offense in the second half, only managing to squeeze out four goals after halftime all season.combined into one sentence For an offense that has struggled to produce, NJIT will have their work cut out for them against a goaltending duo for Penn that has a combined 0.872 save percentage.

Kerry Scalora, Tahirih Nesmith and Megan York: The three leading scorers for Penn have proven time and time again this season that if the opportunity is there, they will sink the necessary shot. Between the three offensive juggernauts, they’ve scored 12 goals and tallied five assists, totaling 29 points. Their 29 points are one point less than the combined points of the other 11 contributing point scorers on Penn’s squad. They also have five game-winning goals between them, including three notched by Scalora.

Clutch: It’s clear to everyone — Penn is clutch. The team plays solid from the bottom to the top, contributing in all aspects of the game and showing a complete team effort that has allowed Penn to reach a solid .808 win percentage. Penn’s defense has allowed the Quakers to stay in close contests — so close that ten of their games have been decided by one goal or less, including those six 1-0 victories. Their ability in the clutch may not need to be used in this nonconference match —added comma in the last two games against NJIT, Penn has scored 12 goals to the Highlanders’ zero.

THREE DOWN —

Playing at NJIT: This game marks the first time that Penn will play at Lubetkin Field,added comma and knowing how the series between these two teams has played out in recent years, it won’t be a welcome visit for the Quakers. The Highlanders have a mere .500 win record, identical to Penn’s win-loss ratio on the road. Penn needs to strike and strike early in hopes of avoiding a road upset.

Penn’s Offense: At this point, Penn’s offense is grasping for straws. The Quakers have 10 different goal scorers and have scored 22 goals to their opponents’ mere five on the season, but they lack one sole offensive force to rely on late in a game. Only the Quakers deter their ability to generate SOGs and goals against NJIT sophomore goalkeeper Samantha Bersettok, who boasts a 0.728 save percentage, including four shutouts.

NJIT will be ‘no holds barred’: For a team that is out of playoff contention and nearing the end of the season, the Quakers should expect a squad who will bring everything it’s got. The Highlanders are searching for a signature win and a surging Penn squad would make for a beautiful headline come Wednesday morning in the NJIT News Room. It is also the kind of loss the Quakers must avoid if they have any hope of reclaiming the top spot in the Ivy rankings. Penn must put the pedal to the metal and drive NJIT into the ground.