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(11/10/94 10:00am)
Optimism among players and coaches is obviously not directly related to a team's number of wins. Although the Penn women's soccer team tallied the same amount of wins as last year, everyone seems relatively satisfied –– a far cry from the disarray and negativity present before the hiring of first-year coach Patrick Baker. "They didn't have a lot of training in the offseason last year," Baker said, "and the former coach [Suzette Wolf], when she knew she wasn't going to be back at Penn, dropped the recruiting baton and there was no one to pick it up." The Quakers (4-11, 1-6 Ivy League) ran their own practices until Baker was awarded the position. He essentially started from scratch with the young team. "We were trying to find some chemistry in the starting 11, and some new roles for some players to play," Baker said. "All that is easier said than done." The season started out very slowly for Penn, as the team lost its first five games before defeating Lehigh. Nonetheless, the Quakers remained confident their coach would pull them through the season. "He concentrated more on skill-work and we did tons of drills involving game situations," junior co-captain Kelly Nolan said. "It's such a change from last year.The desire has improved a lot and the skill level also. The credit goes to our coach for that." Solid coaching, however, was just one of the reasons for the team's better play this year. "I don't think our record exemplifies how we play," Nolan said. "I think anyone who saw us play can say we have improved so much over last year. We played so much more as a team." After a well-played 1-0 loss to Harvard, the Quakers realized they deserved more respect than they had been giving themselves. "For Harvard to come to our park, and for us to lose only 1-0 and for them to get to the NCAA tournament, that's very uplifting," Baker said. Not only Harvard, but Dartmouth and Brown, also earned tournament berths as the Ivy League gained a reputation as one of the more difficult leagues. After the game against Harvard, Penn stormed through a three-game winning streak as it left Columbia, Drexel and Lafayette in its wake. Despite losing the last four games of the season, Penn seems to have an optimistic outlook for next year. "Each year's going to be different," Baker said. "I think we're going to put a better team out on the field. One of the things they haven't had is big-time structure in the offseason, and we're going to provide that for them." While Baker trains the players he has –– none of whom will be graduating –– he plans to launch a recruiting program to fill in the gaps. "We're going to do whatever it takes," he said. "I'm very excited about the recruits that we've had already and the ones that are coming in before January. We have a pool of about 45 players we're really high on. Of that 45, if 35 apply and 20 get in, we can at least get six to eight of those top, top players. They're excited and we're excited." Baker stresses that he, by no means, plans to create an entirely new team of recruits. "We've got a good group to work with," he said. "I'm going to make every individual player a better player and when it comes to August and we get three or four really good players, they're going to make us that much better." While creating an offseason training program, Baker will go on the assumption that he will get no recruits. Whether or not Penn adds any new talent, the Quakers will look forward to a drastically improved 1995 season, he hopes. "I think we're going to improve a lot," Nolan said. "Things can only get better."
(11/07/94 10:00am)
The final game of the season was a fitting end to the Penn women's soccer team's year. In a season of "what ifs" and "almosts" and "should haves," the Quakers finished the season with a 3-2 loss to Princeton Saturday. "It was really disappointing," junior co-captain Heike Krippendorff said. "I saw a difference the moment we stepped out. We wanted this win really badly." After Princeton took an early 1-0 lead, sophomore Lisa Paster tied the game. The Tigers captured one more goal to gain a one-goal advantage going into halftime. Sophomore Yuka Morita tied the game off a corner kick by junior co-captain Meg Kinney, but the Quakers (4-11, 1-6 Ivy League) could not hold off the Princeton offense. "It shows a lot that we were down and came back and tied it," Paster said, "and we were down again and tied it again. When we played high-pressure offense, we were really effective and they started to make mistakes." Despite Saturday's letdown and the team's failure to establish a new record for wins in a season, the Quakers, who do not graduate a single player, have a positive outlook for next season. "Coach [Patrick] Baker definitely made a difference," Krippendorff said. "We're much more organized. We've made incredible steps this season. I felt we were moving much more as a unit." Although the team is still very young and inexperienced, the Quakers insist this season has been an extremely positive one, despite a sub-par record. "There's a marked improvement in our play," Paster said. "Towards the end of the season, we started to play together. We were much more competitive this season." The Quakers are very satisfied with the season and feel they have made immense progress, no one denies plenty of work remains in the offseason to improve. "We need to work on putting the ball in the net," Paster said. "We need to work on playing a little quicker out of the back. Team confidence will come when we start beating more teams. That will come with time and more experience." Other than time and experience, Penn will need a massive recruiting class and an intense offseason training schedule. The Quakers said this transitional season will be improved upon next year. With some quality recruits and a lot of hard work, perhaps next season will begin in a more fitting manner.
(10/31/94 10:00am)
"Frustrating." The words of Penn women's soccer coach Patrick Baker reflected the feelings of the entire team after a 3-1 loss to Yale Saturday. "We dug ourselves a hole in the beginning of the game," Baker said. "We talked about not giving them any undue confidence. We gave up two goals right away and its done." In the beginning of the game, Yale scored two goals almost immediately. Elis sophomore Molly Woodruffe converted another opportunity and at halftime the Quakers (4-10, 1-5 Ivy League) found themselves on the short end of a 3-0 game. "It just seems that at opportunistic times, we're not finding the right options," Baker said. "We were missing that last piece of the puzzle. We had three very good chances to put the ball in the back of the net in the first half." "If we had come out better in the first half," junior Amaryllis Seabrooks said, "we could have come out with a win. When they went down, they finished. But when we went down, we didn't finish." The Penn team dejectedly entered the halftime huddle and received some words of advice from Baker. Along came the second half and, with a fresh clock, came a completely regenerated Quakers squad. But by that point, it was just too late. "We raised the level of intensity and played a lot better," sophomore Lisa Paster said. Penn had plenty of opportunities during the second half, but converted only one. With 24 minutes left, Seabrooks, off an assist by freshman Darah Ross, sent the ball to the back of the net. However, a failure to score off several great chances, including two penalty kicks, kept the Quakers from re-entering the game. The ball remained in the Yale zone for the majority of the half, and the Quakers seemingly dominated Yale (5-9, 2-4). "Their keeper came up with three very nice saves to keep them in it," Baker said, "But our lack of finishing ability didn't help." Despite a shaky effort against the Elis, the Quakers remain confident they can set the program record for wins in a season against Princeton. "I think the group has come a long way, but by no means am I happy with losses," Baker said. "We're going to work our tails off for Princeton." Baker's group, scoring 29 goals this season for the highest count in its brief history, has made many strides since the beginning of the season. But Penn has only one more opportunity to set the record for wins in a season and cannot afford to put on another frustrating performance.
(10/27/94 9:00am)
You could say the Penn men's and women's soccer teams are like one happy family?literally. With Dave and Meg Cardie in their first years as assistant coaches of the men's and women's teams, respectively, Penn soccer has truly become a family affair. But don't expect the two of them to neglect the Quakers for a sibling brunch. "I don't see much of him here," said Meg Cardie, the younger of the two. "I'm coaching, he's coaching. I see him more at family parties." The Cardie duo has been a soccer legend around the Pennsylvania area for years. Meg Cardie was a four-year varsity player at La Salle. She started at center midfield every game and holds the records for most goals and assists in a career for the Explorers. "Her strength is her passing," Dave Cardie said. "She sees the field really well and distributes the ball well." "She's a great ball handler and great at taking people on," said Penn men's coach George O'Neill. Meg Cardie reserves much of the credit for her soccer skills for her older brother. "I would say he was always the big brother I wanted to be just like," she said. "I always looked up to him." Her older brother, an all-American for the Quakers during his senior year in addition to making all-Ivy and all-Soccer 7 for three years, certainly was a good role model. "He's an exciting player," said O'Neill, Dave Cardie's coach for the Philadelphia Inter club team which made the national finals in 1987 and 1988. "He's very tough. He would just blow by people. He's very versatile." O'Neill, in his first year as Penn's permanent coach, takes credit for bringing the Quaker superstar back to his alma mater. "As soon as I got the job, I needed an assistant," O'Neill said. "He was the first man I asked." The two Cardies in the soccer program are not the family's lone Penn representatives. As assistant director of the Newman Center, older brother Bob Cardie, does not have much opportunity to flaunt his soccer prowess. Nevertheless, he takes full responsibility for the family's love for soccer. While growing up, he realized he was too light to play football and searched for a new sport to play. Along came a youth soccer team and Bob Cardie jumped right on the bandwagon. Soon enough, the his younger siblings began to develop a fondness for the sport. "Meg was the tomboy of the neighborhood," he said. "She would beat all the boys in sports. [Dave and I] used to get into fights all the time. Lots of times, our one-on-one basketball games would turn into wrestling matches." He knows, however, their greatest athletic success came in soccer. "Along with being skilled, Dave's extraordinary talent is his speed," he said. "He's just a very gifted athlete. Meg can see the field really well and controls the ball on the field. They're both smart soccer players. They rarely give up the ball when they have it." Bob Cardie played in three Division III championships for Scranton. He currently plays for the over-30 Little Club. As do his younger siblings, Bob Cardie coaches a soccer team, the Newman Center's intramural team. "We've gone to the championships for the past three years," the confident coach said. "This year we're definitely going to win it all." Robert and Katherine Cardie, the parents of the soccer duo, express very little surprise their children grew up to be such brilliant players. "Dave was a pretty smart kid," Katherine Cardie said. "He didn't like getting haircuts because the other kids would hit the back of his head afterwards. He put a Band-aid on the back of his head before and after he got on the bus so no one would hit him." All geniuses have to start somewhere. When Meg began playing soccer, there were no girls' teams in the area. The Cardies decided to let their daughter play on a boys' team. "The coach called me up and said, 'There's probably a mistake, I have a Margaret Mary on the team. We run tough practices and I don't know if she'll be able to keep up,' " Robert Cardie remembered. "After the first practice, I asked how she did. He said, 'She's fine right where she is.' " The father of the family believes, however, that skill is not the best asset his children demonstrate on the soccer field. "They're both the type of players that will give you 110 percent," Robert Cardie said. "They're not ones to cause problems on teams. Even if they weren't as good as they were, they would still be welcome by coaches." Although Dave and Meg Cardie forever will be welcome by coaches as both assistants and players, they have yet to devote their lives to the sport. She continues to teach special education at St. Katherine Day School while he sells and services insurance policies for Prudential Insurance to support his wife and two daughters. Nevertheless, the two Cardies cannot get soccer off their minds. "I know I'll always be involved in soccer in some way," Dave Cardie said, "whether it's at the collegiate level, high school level or the professional level." For now, the Quakers are more than content to keep the Cardie family in their program.
(10/24/94 9:00am)
The up-side of Friday's Penn women's soccer game was, for 45 minutes, the Quakers played as they had during their three-game winning streak. The down-side was their good play came 45 minutes too late. "I wish we had just started playing earlier," junior co-captain Heike Krippendorff said. "Someone said to Coach, 'Too bad your team didn't show up until the second half.' We just didn't turn it on soon enough." Penn suffered a 6-1 defeat at the hands of Brown in Providence. Although the Quakers (4-8, 1-4 Ivy League) silenced the Bears in the second half, by then the damage was already done. "If we had played the whole game and lost," freshman Darah Ross said, "it would have been better than playing half the game and losing." A six-goal barrage by Brown (7-3, 5-0) during the first half pulled the game out of the Quakers' hands early. "We were basically on our heals, tentative and scared in the first half," Krippendorff said, "and they just dominated. Their whole team was pushing forward and it felt like they were coming out of nowhere." Brown, the nation's 20th-ranked team, began its offensive attack at the 10-minute mark and never slowed down. Other than a goal by sophomore Yuka Morita off a corner kick by junior co-captain Meg Kinney, the Quakers were overpowered for the entire first half. Kinney and sophomore Anne Davies, who collided with each other during Tuesday's 6-3 overtime victory over Lafayette, were in the lineup, but not playing at 100 percent. "It really hurt us that Meg couldn't use her head because of her concussion," Krippendorff said. "She's one of our best headers." Besides losing Kinney's skills in the air, Penn was forced to switch Davies, the team's playmaker, to a defensive midfielder. Sophomore Heather Herson took over as the leading midfielder for the recovering Davies. Despite the juggled lineup and five-goal deficit, Penn managed to shut out the Bears during the second half, a pretty impressive feat considering Brown's national ranking. "We played with a top 20 team for 45 minutes," Krippendorff said. "But we need to work on consistency over 90 minutes. I don't think we're doing that much wrong." The lopsided score, Krippendorff believed, cannot justify the improvements the Quakers have made during the season. "I think we're 100 percent better than we were against Bucknell, Villanova and Cornell," she said. "I don't think anyone doubts that."
(10/24/94 9:00am)
Smiles covered the players' faces. Proud family members congratulated coach Patrick Baker on a job well done. Everyone was obviously in good spirits. The excitement of everyone in attendance Saturday seemed to demonstrate the Penn women's soccer team had just won its first Ivy game of the season. It didn't. "This is the best 90 minutes of soccer we've played," Baker said. "We've been building on bits and pieces of good play, but today we can build on the whole game. We had some chances to win it [but] the roll of the dice went their way." After a hard-fought 1-0 loss to Harvard (4-2-2, 2-0-1 Ivy League), the Quakers left the field confident they had given their all. "I really don't see anything we could have done differently," sophomore Anne Davies said. "If we could have played it again, I would have wanted us to play it the same way." After an evenly matched first half in which neither team had many legitimate opportunities to score, the Quakers (1-7, 0-3) showed some life with 33 minutes left in the second half. Sophomore Yuka Morita dribbled the ball up the sideline, made several moves to evade Harvard's defense and shot at the Crimson goal. Freshman goalkeeper Dana Krein, who brought a 0.85 goals against average into the game, barely deflected the ball from entering the net. Seven minutes later, Harvard senior Beth Morgan dribbled the ball downfield and crossed it to freshman Emily Stauffer, who promptly deposited the ball into the back of the Quaker net. Although Stauffer, as expected, was the dominant force on the Harvard squad, Baker believed the Penn defense was excellent. "[Stauffer] was only effective for a 10-minute segment," Baker said. "Our game plan worked to a tee. Davies did a fantastic job against Emily." The Crimson was silenced for the remainder of the game. The Quakers threatened a few more times, but failed to convert their opportunities. With 4:23 left, Morita injured her knee on an offensive break and was carried off the field. Penn went quietly after that. "They're playing much more improved as a group. They came in with the attitude they can win," Harvard coach Tim Wheaton said of the Quakers. "Our goalkeeper had to come up with a great save to preserve the win." The Quakers left the field in good spirits despite the failed conversions of several key scoring opportunities. "We didn't capitalize on them, it just didn't fall our way," junior co-captain Meg Kinney said. "I'm sad because it would have been nice to walk out of here with a 'W,' but I'm proud of the way we played. I can walk out of here with my head held high." Baker believes if the Quakers continue to play as they did Saturday, wins will begin to come. "I can handle losses like this," Baker said. "This is how I want us to play game in and game out. The ball's going to bounce in the back of the net one day, and we'll find we're the winner." Perhaps after the next game, the smiles and congratulations will follow a Quaker win, not a well-played loss.
(10/21/94 9:00am)
Women look to continue winning streak To say last week was a good one for the Penn women's soccer team would be a tremendous understatement. After defeating Columbia last Wednesday for their second Ivy win ever, the Quakers (4-7, 1-3 Ivy League) trounced Drexel 7-0 Friday and pulled out a 6-3 overtime win against Lafayette Tuesday. Penn takes its three-game winning streak to the Ivy League's top team, Brown (6-3, 4-0) tonight. As if three consecutive victories wasn't enough, junior co-captain Meg Kinney was named Ivy League Co-Player of the Week and Penn Female Athlete of the Week. Freshman goalkeeper Perry Cohen –– complete with a broken hand –– was the league's Rookie of the Week for her two shutouts. "The team has been playing so well since Harvard," Cohen said. "The defense has done a great job helping me out, knowing that I'm not 100 percent." The Quakers, however, had some trouble playing a winless Drexel squad at first. Until the 15-minute mark, they hadn't even scored a goal. "Some people just weren't in it mentally," coach Patrick Baker said. "I let them fight through the first 15 minutes to see if they could find their groove." After several substitutions, Penn finally jumped past the Dragons when sophomore Jill Brown scored the first goal of her career. She volleyed a Kinney corner kick into the back of the Drexel net. By halftime, the Quakers led 3-0. "I was frustrated from the standpoint that Drexel hadn't had a shot on goal all season long," Baker said. "They bunched everybody back towards the goal and we were content to shoot from 30 yards out. We made their keeper look like an All-American." The Dragon goalkeeper surely lost her All-America status after a barrage of second-half goals, including a hat trick by Amaryllis Seabrooks. "We played our game," Cohen said. "A lot of times when you play a team that's not as strong, you play down to their level. We worked really hard to keep our level of play up." With Drexel sent back to Market Street after the blowout, the Quakers set their sights on Lafayette. "We didn't play a great first half," sophomore Lisa Paster said. "We should have put the game away in regulation time." With the score tied 3-3 and regulation time ticking away, it appeared the Quakers might again lose again. Kinney and sophomore Anne Davies collided with 20 minutes left in the game. Kinney suffered a chipped tooth and concussion, and Davies left the game with a cut on her forehead. Both are expected to play tonight. "After Meg and Anne went down, the group got locked and focused," Baker said. "We were a bit deeper on the bench and a bit fitter, which showed in the last 30 minutes of overtime." The Quakers kicked their play into high gear when, 10 minutes into overtime, freshman Darah Ross sent the ball to the back of the Leopard net. Penn went on to score two more goals in overtime and sealed the victory. "The actual 90 minutes weren't great. We really turned it on in overtime," junior co-captain Heike Krippendorff said. "We started finishing and clicking as a team." The Quakers, however, will have their work cut out for them when they face Brown tonight. "They're strong all over," Baker said. "They play very quick. The ball never stops. It's like poetry in motion." With a massive injection of confidence during the past week, the Quakers refuse to concede defeat. "All the pressure is really on them," Paster said. "We're coming off three wins. I think we're due to upset a big team and Brown is a good candidate for that upset." With the Ivy League Co-Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week in addition to the three-game winning streak, Penn will send a good team to Providence.
(10/11/94 9:00am)
The Penn women's squash team hoped last weekend's Princeton Invitational would serve as a morale booster. Little did the Quakers know that goal would be fulfilled even before the tournament began. The Princeton Invitational is an opportunity for the 20 best collegiate players to compete against each other. Princeton, Vassar, Franklin & Marshall, Penn State, Dartmouth and Amherst sent players to the tournament. Penn coach Demer Holleran was more than pleased when she discovered two of the top players were Quakers. "It was an honor to have two of our players in the top 20 and the whole team can be proud of that," Holleran said. Senior Aimee La Gorce and classmate and co-captain Wendy Sullivan were selected to compete among the elite in women's squash. La Gorce placed third in the tournament and Sullivan finished tied for eighth place. Holleran felt Sullivan proved herself a player to be reckoned with when she competed in two hard-fought matches against the country's best competition. Even though she was recovering from a hamstring injury, La Gorce fought her way to the semi-finals before losing to the eventual winner of the tournament, Franklin & Marshall junior Margo Green. "The match against Margo was the first real test and my leg held up," La Gorce said. "I learned a lot from it and hopefully I can implement [my knowledge] in my match in 10 days." La Gorce will have the opportunity to challenge Green again when the Quakers play the Diplomats January 19. "The Franklin & Marshall match is an important one we're looking forward to," Holleran said. "We have a lot more depth this year and a lot of hungry players. We really want to beat F&M.; We have to practice hard for two weeks to make it a reality." Matches played at Franklin & Marshall tend to be more difficult because the crowds tend to be loud and intimidating. "We have to be prepared, mentally and physically, to block that out," Holleran said. The Quakers' confidence should be boosted by the return of junior co-captain Liz Fuss from France. "That will not only help us depth-wise, but also morale-wise," Holleran said. "[Liz] is a very energetic person and she works really hard," La Gorce said. With the confidence gained from the Princeton Invitational and the return of Fuss, the younger Quakers may finally gain the self-confidence their play suggests they deserve.
(10/07/94 9:00am)
Harvard star freshman Stouffer scares women Emily Stouffer is striking fear in the Penn women's soccer team for tomorrow's 6 p.m. game at Franklin Field against Harvard. No, Stouffer isn't a senior All-American for the Crimson. In fact, she's a freshman. The Rookie of the Week central midfielder already leads Harvard (3-1-2, 1-0-1 Ivy League) with two goals and three assists. "She's probably the best player we'll see all year," Quaker coach Patrick Baker said. "The kid is top notch. Emily's going to do her thing without question. If she has the ball at her feet in the middle third [of the field] as opposed to our defensive third, we'll be OK." "She's one of the best players I've ever seen play in high school," said sophomore Heather Herson, who faced Stouffer in several club soccer games in Connecticut. "If we can close her down, we can close down many of their options." Penn (1-6, 0-2) will have to watch for the rest of the Harvard team as well. "They're very quick. They don't have a lot of weaknesses," Baker said. "It's going to be a huge challenge for us. We're going to go out there and try to do the things we're capable of doing." "I would love to make Harvard this year's first Ivy win," junior co-captain Heike Krippendorff said. "They're a strong team. It could give us the boost we need. Hopefully, we'll put on a show." The Quakers will have to overcome the broken hand of freshman goalkeeper Perry Cohen. Cohen suffered the injury during the first half of Tuesday's 5-2 loss to Temple. Without any backup goalkeepers, Penn will have to play the injured Cohen. "She might have to guide [shots] away, push it around the post," Baker said. "The doctor said she's good to go. She wants to play and we don't have a backup keeper." "It's the kind of game where every person on the field is going to have to play her very best," Herson said. "We're going to have to gel as a team." Although the Quakers continue to become better acquainted with each other, they also demonstrate the flaws of a young team. "I think some folks saw us play pretty well against Temple," Baker said. "We didn't have some breaks go our way. We've worked on some little things as a team. We've got to play better possession in the midfield." The Quakers will have to control ball possession tomorrow in order to keep the ball away from Stouffer and the rest of the Harvard team.
(10/04/94 9:00am)
They're coming off their first win of the season. They're gradually becoming adjusted to playing at new positions. They have Yuka Morita back in the lineup. This adds up to the fact the members of the Penn women's soccer team are ready for tonight's game against Temple. After defeating Lehigh last Tuesday, the Quakers (1-5) had the week off to prepare for tonight's 7:30 game at Franklin Field. "[Team morale] has been up since Lehigh," sophomore Wendy Bass. "It was never really down. No one gave up. It was just a matter of perseverance." Despite the impressive 3-2 victory over the Engineers, the Quakers still realize the Owls present a formidable challenge. "Temple plays tough," sophomore Heather Herson said. "They're very physical." Although the Owls have a 3-6 record, they have been playing top-notch competition. "We've run into some very tough teams," Temple coach Seamus McWilliams said. "We're a team that's struggling to get things started out. "We like to find the strengths and weaknesses in opponents as much as possible and try to avoid their strengths and exploit their weaknesses." One of the strengths McWilliams' squad will have to avoid is the growing confidence of some of the Quakers at their new positions. Herson, who played sweeper last year and for the first few games this year, has settled into a groove at midfield alongside sophomore Anne Davies. "[Herson] continues to feel more comfortable in understanding her roles and responsibilities in the midfield," Baker said. "Davies continually is doing the little things we're asking of her." For Temple, sweeper Shauna James and midfielder Patrice Rutland are both very strong players, and the Quakers will have difficulty silencing Kristen Naper, according to Baker. "She plays our central midfield and is our strongest player in terms of creating our game and maintaining our balance when we attack and defend," McWilliams said. Nonetheless, Baker feels he will send a qualified team on the field tonight. "I think things are starting to turn around," Bass said. "It won't be long before Penn women's soccer starts to do some damage."
(09/28/94 9:00am)
Yesterday at Lehigh seemed, at first, like another typical day for the Penn women's soccer team. Sophomore Yuka Morita's injury and dime-size hail falling on the field prior to the game appeared to foreshadow imminent disaster for the Quaker squad. Sloppy first-half play led to a Lehigh goal and it seemed as if the Quakers were en route to their sixth consecutive loss of the season. "I was thinking, 'Not again,' " sophomore Lisa Paster said. "I was concerned. I didn't want to lose to a team like Lehigh." Paster's words were echoed by electric second-half play by the Quakers. Penn held on to defeat the Engineers, 3-2. "I knew we weren't playing our game in the first half," junior co-captain Heike Krippendorff said. "The general attitude was, 'We've had enough of this.' " "To be honest, I had flashbacks of [last Tuesday's loss to] Bucknell," Penn coach Patrick Baker said. "We were by far the better team. This particular time we were able to respond with a great equalizer." The Quakers (1-5) equalized when junior co-captain Meg Kinney drilled a free kick into the Lehigh box and sophomore Nicole Caruso directed it into the net. "After Nicole hit it in, I felt a ray of hope," Krippendorff said. "All I thought about was making Lehigh pay for all our losses and the goals scored against us." Besides the momentum-swinging goal, solid goalkeeping on the other side of the field by freshman Perry Cohen helped the Quakers balance a slow first half. "Perry kept us in the game with four or five good saves in the first half," Baker said. "She smothered some balls and handled them cleanly." With the score tied at 1 after one half, the Quakers returned to the sidelines to face Baker. "Coach expressed that this team should not beat us," Krippendorff said. "It gave me confidence. He boosted our egos. It was a complete 180 from the first half." When the Quakers took the field to begin the second half, it appeared as if a new team was taking on the Engineers. "In the second half, we realized how much we wanted to win and how much we would need to work to get it," junior co-captain Kelly Nolan said. "We definitely dominated the second half." Moving the ball with speed and accuracy, Penn spent most the time attacking. With about 15 minutes remaining, freshman Darah Ross penetrated the Engineer defense and sent the ball to the back of Lehigh's net. "[Darah] had a great day," Baker said. "She kept getting in behind the defense. It was great to see her hit that great shot." With Cohen and Ross leading the way, many of the other young Quakers, among them freshman Samantha Drohan, contributed to the solid second-half showing. "Sam got 30 to 35 minutes in the second half," Baker said. "It was a steady performance. Sam did a great job of stepping in and contributing." Many other of the Penn non-starters followed Drohan's lead and helped whenever they could. "We played 18 or 19 players and we're forcing them to jump out and play," Baker said. "They've been showing me they can play." Sophomore Heather Hearson also did her fair share to ensure a Penn victory by drilling a 20-yard goal past the Lehigh goalkeeper. "One thing I was happy about was we were up by one goal and that wasn't enough," Krippendorff said. "We wanted another." With the second half winding down, the Quakers began to taste their first victory of the season. "We don't know how to preserve a lead," Baker said. "You want to be patient, but instead we were playing rush, rush." Penn's neglecting to stall out the clock allowed the Engineers to score a goal with about eight minutes remaining. All of a sudden, an imminent Quaker victory was up for grabs. "You're afraid the momentum is going to swing," Paster said. "When Lehigh scored their goal it was suddenly 3-2. The whole team was really nervous." "We were praying we didn't make one more mistake," Krippendorff said. "It was a little panicky. One thing we did different this game was we fought for the game." Penn managed to evade any major miscues and held on for the victory. "It definitely lifted our spirits," Nolan said. "We needed this win. If we lost, it would have been real hard to come back and get a win. It came at a perfect time." "We fought. We played at a whole other level," Baker said. "We did everything we possibly could and we won. We played the game of soccer and battled it out with them and we were showing some good intensity." The Quakers will hope to continue playing with intensity when they face Temple next Tuesday. Baker admitted the team will have to improve on its lackluster first-half performance, but in the meantime, the Quakers will savor their hard-earned win.
(09/26/94 9:00am)
The soccer field was soaking wet as a light drizzle covered Hanover, N.H, Saturday. It was just a messy day, especially considering the women's soccer result. Just 10 minutes into the first half, a Penn throw-in skipped away from the midfielders. Capitalizing on the error, Dartmouth took the ball downfield and Jenna Kurowski sunk it into the back of the net. From there the Big Green cruised to an 8-0 win over Penn. "At the half, I told them it's 6-0. Either we can make this the worst loss ever or say, 'We didn't travel eight hours to be embarrassed,' " Baker said. The Quaker offense was stifled throughout the game as Penn spent most of the time with the ball in its backfield. "We lost a lot of forward momentum when they scored the first two times," junior co-captain Heike Krippendorff said. "After that, we played very defensively." Although frustration seemed to be building, Baker insisted the team's 0-5 record (0-2 Ivy) hasn't gotten the team or him down. "It's been a rude introduction for me," said Baker, who suffered his worst loss as a college coach. "It's a taste in my mouth I quickly want to do away with. It makes me a more committed coach because I'm going to spend an extra hour calling recruits or watching tapes." "It's very frustrating," sophomore Jill Brown said. "You've got to keep your head up. We're trying to be positive. It's too early to give up. Hopefully we'll see a turnaround. It can only get better from this point." Baker insisted Penn is worrying more about player development and improving as a team than its record. "We cannot be concerned with wins and losses," Baker said. "I like to win as much as the next person. We're trying to take care of things that occurred a year ago. If you ask any player on the team, they'll say they're a better player now than any other time in their career at Penn." Despite the embarrassing loss to Dartmouth, Penn will look toward tomorrow's game against Lehigh as a possible spirit booster. "Losing is frustrating, but I'm not giving up hope," Krippendorff said. "You just get up and keep going. Hopefully, Lehigh will be good for us as far as team morale goes." Meanwhile, Baker will continue coaching his team as he has all season and awaits a rematch against the Big Green. "When we come back to Dartmouth in two years, we're going to put on a performance," Baker said. "They consider us the doormat of the Ivy League." In 1996 in Hanover, Baker believes the only messy part of the game will be the field.
(09/19/94 9:00am)
It wasn't because of a lack of preparation. It wasn't because of a lack of effort. In fact, no one knows what caused Saturday's 4-0 loss to Cornell. "It's not that we played badly," junior co-captain Kelly Nolan said, "but when we let down, they took advantage of it. "We knew about their good players, so we knew what to expect. I don't think it was anything in particular. It just didn't come together for us." Things simply haven't been coming together for the Quakers lately. Penn is 0-3 this season (0-1 Ivy League) and has lost some hard-fought matches. The Quakers have been concentrating on fundamentals since Tuesday's loss to Villanova. Coach Patrick Baker has been receiving scouting reports about opposing teams. Morale is high. But for some reason, Penn hasn't been able to pull everything together and leave with a victory. "When we do the things we've been working on in practice, it really works," Nolan said, "but we have to be consistent in doing those kind of things. We have periods in the game when we're playing well and periods when we don't." The Big Red jumped out to an early 1-0 lead and by halftime they led 2-0. "After they scored the first goal, it shot our momentum," Nolan said. The Quakers simply couldn't penetrate the Cornell defense or handle its aggressive offense. "The score wasn't indicative of the game. I thought we played really well," sophomore Jill Brown said. "The Cornell team was really explosive. We did manage to get some things going and get some offense in. We just couldn't handle their attack." Penn will be practicing today for tomorrow's game against Bucknell, a team the Quakers feel is very beatable. "We know we're working hard and playing better so we're pretty much in good spirits," Brown said. "We've played three hard games and haven't come up with a win yet. "We're going to continue working on ground control of the ball and keeping our play consistent. We want to keep the times we're playing well, longer during the game." Nolan agrees the Quakers will continue to work as hard as ever and keep a positive outlook. "It's hard not to get down on yourself," Nolan said. "We're still looking for our first win. We're still going to be optimistic."
(09/16/94 9:00am)
For about an hour, Patrick Baker stood by the goal post and watched. He never screamed. He never yelled. He just watched. The Penn women's soccer coach watched yesterday as his team repeated the same drill over and over again in preparation for tomorrow's game at Cornell. The Quakers scrimmaged for more than an hour trying to remedy their mistakes from Tuesday's 3-2 loss against Villanova. "Tuesday was frustrating," Baker said. "But we look at it and say, 'Hey, we beat 'Nova 1-0 in the second half.' " "We've got to focus on three different things -- the back four pressuring tight and the front runners playing closer together –– they have to be within 20 to 25 yards of each other. We also felt we didn't get the flank players all that involved against Villanova. We just have to continue working on the things that make us successful." "We're working on our strength in the air and using our outside halfbacks and midfielders, and utilizing more space," junior co-captain Meg Kinney said. Despite Baker's detailed agenda, the Quaker coach remains as positive as ever for tomorrow's game against the Big Red. "The more they play, the more they're able to read the game better," he said. "[Cornell has] two or three very good players -- one that sweeps, one in the midfield, one up top." Penn (0-2), comprised only of freshmen, sophomores and a few juniors, is vying for its first win this season, and will head to Ithaca having played only two games together as a team. "We're a young team and every game we've gotten better," freshman Darah Ross said. "We're just going to keep getting better with time." As long as the Quakers continue to get better and make an impressive showing, Kinney will be satisfied. "I'm hoping to be able to walk of the field with my head held high," Kinney said. "It's a long trip to make and play poorly." Whether the Quakers will win remains to be seen, but one thing is certain -- Baker will not send an unprepared Penn team to Cornell . "He comes out with a game plan," Kinney said. "He saw what the weaknesses were, and we worked on them."
(09/14/94 9:00am)
The Quad is old. The Furness building is old. God knows Logan Hall is old or else it wouldn't take years to renovate it. But when I think of old complexes at Penn, the first two facilities that come to mind are the Palestra and Franklin Field. I've spent hours watching sporting events at both. I've also spent a great deal of time at my hometown stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The differences between the Quaker complexes and Oriole Park are astounding. Oriole Park has urinals whereas Franklin Field has a porcelain "ditch" next to the wall where everyone relieves themselves. Oriole Park also has state-of-the-art modern amenities like chairbacks and efficient corridor lighting. I will admit that the Camden Yards ballpark lacks one major luxury which Franklin Field has -- miles of scaffolding. Basically, comparing Oriole Park to either of the Penn athletic facilities would be like equating the Four Seasons Hotel to High Rise East. I kind of like the "worn-in look" associated with both Franklin Field and the Palestra. Granted there are no instant-replay screens, no cheezy scoreboard graphics to get the crowd pumped-up and no out-of-town scoreboards. (OK, there's basically nothing besides the playing field and a few splintering benches.) But the Palestra and Franklin Field have one thing that Oriole Park lacks –– history. Do you think the 1944 Orioles ever played at the Camden Yards ballpark? They didn't. Not only was the ballpark a train station at the time, but the Orioles didn't even exist at the time. Bringing this analogy to the college level, you can rest assured that most college sports teams are not playing in the same complexes in 1994 as they did in 1944. Both the Palestra and Franklin Field have been home to countless Ivy League champion teams, a handful of Final Four teams, and –– hold your breath, Quaker fans –– the most NCAA tournament games of any stadium. Not only do both complexes hold rich athletic histories, they also provide a common family bond for those with Penn alum parents and grandparents. (We know how you REALLY got into Penn.) Many have never been to the same stadiums, other than the Penn athletic complexes, which your grandparents attended generations ago. Can you imagine sneaking a case of the Beast through the same Franklin Field entrance that your Grandpa Melvin clandestinely brought his Natural Light brews before some pre-game drinking with Bernie, Harry and Marv? Well, you probably have (unless, of course, your are under the legal drinking age and, therefore, realize that it is against the law to consume alcoholic beverages until your 21st birthday). Perhaps Grandpa Melvin was one of the rowdy upperclassmen who sits in the front row of the Palestra sporting wigs, painting his face red and blue and in general, jumping up and down like an uncaged animal. Whatever the extent of Grandpa Melvin's participation at Penn athletic events, you can bet he was there in the same seats of the same rundown, dingy athletic complexes that you attend. Hopefully with the aid of millions of dollars in renovations, the Palestra and Franklin Field will be around if and when my grandchildren come to Penn. In the meantime, Penn should center its efforts on other buildings. Call me crazy if I think Logan Hall should have four walls. Call me an idiot if I say that Meyerson Hall should have a ceiling that isn't in danger of falling on students at any second. Call me a dreamer if I believe residential dorms should be rid of rodents and insects. While the administration continues to put off these renovations, I'll be content watching the Quakers manhandle Princeton in the same places they've been doing it for several decades. Jason Brenner is a College sophomore from Baltimore, and a sports writer for The Daily Pennsylvanian.
(09/13/94 9:00am)
Speak softly but carry a big kick. With that philosophy, sophomore Jill Brown has emerged to become one of the leaders of the Penn women's soccer team. As the left outside back, Brown has demonstrated her exceptional vision of the field and smooth ball control. But you won't hear her give the team an inspiring pep talk before tonight's 7:30 game against Villanova at Franklin Field. "Jill is somewhat of an unsung player," coach Patrick Baker said. "She's one of the quiet leaders." But her leadership skills are evident when the game is on the line. "She's very calm, cool and collected, and goes about her business," Baker said. Brown doesn't concentrate on pressure or non-pressure situations, she just plays her heart out from kickoff to the final whistle. "I try to keep my head in the game, concentrate on the whole 90 minutes and keep up the level of play throughout the game," Brown said. During the team's 2-1 loss against West Chester Friday, Brown's impressive performance managed to evade the spotlight. She covered West Chester's top forward and prevented her from being a factor. Brown saw the loss at West Chester as both a letdown and a learning experience. "West Chester was an unfortunate loss because we were all looking for a turnaround," Brown said. "It told us we have a lot of work to do. Coach Baker is helping us gel together as a team. "Last year, we were playing with what we brought into the program and it was individuals putting forth effort. This year, we're acting much more like a team." Although the outlook among Brown and the rest of the team has become more positive, the Quakers have much to improve upon for tonight's Villanova game. "Getting away from the win and loss aspect, we need to move the ball and pass the ball quicker than we have," Baker said. "[Villanova is] having success putting the ball in the back of the net and keeping opponents at bay." Nonetheless, Baker insisted the last few practices have been very positive for the Quakers. "It was our first game and we had the jitters," Baker said yesterday. "But anyone who was at that game and goes to tomorrow's game will see a much better group." Although spectators at today's game may be surprised to see a "much better group," they will see three things not out of the ordinary. Jill Brown will play left outside back, she'll give the Quakers everything she has and she won't gloat after another stellar performance.
(09/09/94 9:00am)
Soccer teams look to have improved seasonsSoccer teams look to have improved seasonsBaker injects new attitute into women's squad Heike Krippendorff is tired of losing. In fact, the entire Penn women's soccer team is tired of losing. After a season in which the team won its first (and only) Ivy League game in history, the Quakers replaced coaches Suzette Wolf and David Masterson with Patrick Baker. "Coach [Baker] is incredible," junior co-captain Krippendorff said. "He's the best coach I've ever had. He knows what he's doing." Krippendorff believes Baker is "incredible" because of the emphasis he places on both physical fitness and mental preparation. Baker's first test comes today, when the Quakers travel to West Chester for a 4 p.m. contest against the Rams. Baker is no stranger to working with struggling teams -- he spent the last five years at North Carolina Wesleyan College where he transformed a weak squad into one of the nation's 10 best teams. Feeling he had accomplished his goals at Wesleyan, Baker decided to apply for the Penn job when Harvard coach Steve Locker –– who coached Baker at Otterbein –– informed him of an opening. "Based on what we've seen from last year, the first and foremost thing was to make sure the players were taken care of both on and off the field," Baker said. He promptly called a friend who works at Puma and supplied the team with new jerseys and shoes. His next task was to improve the morale. "Some players didn't understand their roles and responsibilities," Baker said. "We built up their confidence and got them to enjoy the game of soccer again. At the end of last year, that began to fade." The team had a hard time concentrating on soccer last year. Animosity developed between the players and the coaches. With Baker at the helm, the entire outlook has changed. "They see enthusiasm from their coach," Baker said. "That gives them the desire to do well." Baker's strategy on the field was to improve the defense. "We're trying to have an organized, controlled defense," Krippendorff said. "With that, everything up top will follow. We're trying to make the team more complete." With the enthusiasm and new strategies Baker brings to the Quakers, the outlook among the Penn women's soccer team has changed drastically. "We have a very optimistic group," Krippendorff said. "This season is our season to make ourselves known."
(04/21/94 9:00am)
What can you say about a game like this? With a combined effort of shabby defense, failed hitting, tension among the team and questionable coaching, the Penn softball team didn't have many positive things to say about its defeat at the hands of St. Joseph's. In fact, the Quakers had almost nothing to say at all. Penn coach Linda Carothers refused to comment why she told the team's leading hitter, senior Stacey Thompson –– batting a lofty .394 –– to bunt with runners on second and third with one out down five runs in the third. Trusting Carothers' 15-plus years of coaching at Penn, I assumed she had something up her sleeve. I was wrong. Thompson's bunt was caught by the St. Joe's catcher, who promptly threw out junior co-captain Dawn Kulp at third. Just like that, the Quakers managed to turn a key scoring opportunity into an inning-ending double play. Unfortunately for Penn, that was the least of its problems. In their game one defeat, the Quakers committed five errors, including three in the top of the third. The Hawks scored six runs that inning and nine in the game, only two of which were earned. "When one error builds on another error, it's hard to get back into the game," junior Shannon Hembrough said. The Quakers couldn't get back into the game. Penn managed only one hit in its 9-1 defeat at the hands of St. Joe's. From my front-row seat on the bleachers, I could see that tension was brewing within the Penn dugout. When asked to comment about the game, Carothers said it would be best to "ask the players, they seem to know better than I do." I concluded that some of the Quakers who are fixtures on the bench were getting tired of the splinters in their backsides. Carothers replaced all of her starters in the seventh inning and put in some of her players who were hungry for playing time. As if the Quakers weren't having enough problems, Carothers pulled sophomore center fielder Abby Shore from the game in the fifth inning. Shore stormed off the field and didn't return for the rest of the game. During the second game, however, it seemed the Quakers were going to avenge the first loss to the Hawks. After St. Joe's jumped to an early 2-0 lead, it looked as if Penn would rebound in the bottom of the fourth. With the bases loaded and one out, it seemed as if the Quakers would at least tie the Hawks in that inning. But after senior Hilary Stamos was picked off third, the Quakers were lucky to leave the inning with one run. The scored remained 2-1 until the top of the seventh. When the Hawks' Colleen Fahy singled to left-center, there was some confusion whether the left fielder, Nestler, or the center fielder, Shore, should field the ball. The ball was kicked around and Fahy reached second. As luck would have it, that run scored also. Down 3-1 but still determined, the Quakers refused to give up. Richeimer led off the inning with a single. Freshman Kara Lecker was called in to pinch run. In yet another questionable coaching decision, Carothers gave freshman Melanie Bolt the bunt signal. Oh, that deadly signal. That signal had already caused so much heartache for the loyal Quaker fans in game one. I, along with the entire bleacher section filled with parents and boyfriends, realized that giving up an out to advance Lecker served no purpose. Bolt was the tying run and Carothers was taking the bat out of her hands. Bolt fouled off two pitches. I breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank God, there's no way she'll bunt with two strikes." As the words left my mouth, Bolt laid down a sacrifice which sent Lecker to second. After freshman Samantha Smithson failed to advance Lecker to third, Thompson stepped up to the plate with two out. Thompson drilled a single up the middle. Lecker rounded third and beat out the center fielder's throw to the plate. While Lecker scored, Thompson was sent to second by the first-base coach and gunned down by the catcher. A fitting end to the day. The Quakers outhit the Hawks 7-6 in game two but committed four errors. Not one of St. Joe's runs was earned. "It's going to be hard to get up for games when we're so far down in the Ivies," Hembrough said. Indeed, the Quakers will have a hard time getting up unless they begin playing fundamental softball. Until then, no one will have anything to say. Jason Brenner is a College freshman from Baltimore, Md., and a sports writer for The Daily Pennsylvanian.
(04/20/94 9:00am)
Having three pitchers each throwing day in and day out, you would figure the performances from the mound have been the problem for the Quakers. Actually, the pitching has kept Penn in many games. With senior Lanie Moore and freshman Vicki Moore as the starters, and freshman Melanie Bolt as the sole reliever, the Quakers have had some solid performances on the mound for such an understaffed rotation. Senior pitcher Cherie Gerstadt has been injured for the last few weeks and junior co-captain Dawn Kulp has had control problems on the mound, despite her success at first base. The lack of pitchers, however, has not stopped the Quaker staff from shining. Lanie Moore's 1.09 ERA leads the team, while Vicki Moore is right behind her at 1.27. Bolt gives up an average of 2.23 earned runs a game. Opponents are batting a meager .233 against the trio. The three members of Penn's pitching staff hope to keep up these statistics when they play St. Joseph's 3:30 p.m. today at Warren Field. "[Bolt] is cool under fire, and that's what you need from a reliever," Penn coach Linda Carothers said. "She's a stable influence when someone's struggling or we need to change the momentum of the game. "The three-person rotation has worked very well for us. It would be nice if that weren't the case. We're living and dying with it, but we've been very successful." This weekend's doubleheader against Yale was no exception to the pitching rotation's success. "Lanie and Vicki had a three and four hitter, respectively," Carothers said. "They threw well, we just didn't get them any runs." The Quakers lost both games 1-0, despite the excellent pitching efforts, due to a lack of clutch hitting. "It gets frustrating," Vicki Moore said, "because everyone tells you, 'You pitched such a great game.' It's nice for people to tell you, 'That's the best game you've thrown all year,' but it's still a loss." Lanie Moore has known this frustration all too well during her four years as a Quaker. "I've been there," she said. "I told [Vicki] she pitched a great game and to continue to do what she's doing because she's pitching really well." Penn will need more solid outings from the Moores and Bolt if it expects to take two games from St. Joe's today. "We played them earlier this year," Lanie Moore said. "They 10-runned us in five innings. We made a lot of errors that game, but they're very beatable. I think it is a really important game coming off two losses this weekend." "It was an ugly game," Carothers said. "We didn't do well and they hit the ball. They've got a really talented bunch of players. St. Joe's is a very aggressive, hard-hitting ballclub." Unfortunately for the Quakers, solid pitching is just one of the many things Penn must have in order to leave Warren Field with two victories. "We have to move baserunners and keep St. Joe's off the bases," Carothers said. "But that's the strategy in any game. We're capable of doing that." Assuming the Quakers fulfill their offensive expectations, they know they can count on the Moores and Bolt to do their part.
(04/13/94 9:00am)
Jumping out to an early lead is an important part of winning a softball game. But holding on to that lead is even more important. In its first game against La Salle earlier this season, Penn took a 1-0 lead, but ended up losing 13-1. Today the Quakers (12-13) will visit the Explorers (3 p.m., Good Shepherd Field). But this time they hope not to be such gracious guests. "La Salle's a very aggressive team," senior pitcher Lanie Moore said. "We jumped out to a 1-0 lead and we weren't able to score after that. If we jump out to a lead and continue to hit, we'll be fine." "They have some speed and they have decent hitters," freshman second baseman Samantha Smithson said. "They're a pretty decent team, but they're beatable. As far as hitting is concerned, we need to attack the ball early in the game and not allow little mistakes to overcome us." Penn is coming off a week of playing shaky softball. After being swept by Princeton over the weekend and beating Cornell twice because of a string of Big Red miscues, the Quakers are not playing with complete confidence. "I thought that considering our abilities, we should have beaten [Cornell] by a lot more than we did," Smithson said. "We keep beating ourselves. We haven't been beaten by any team except Princeton. "When the other teams get hits, that's fine. But when we make errors, we're beating ourselves. We're definitely going to need to be more into the game." Penn coach Linda Carothers believes her all-purpose strategy of hitting the ball hard and keeping the ball in play will prevent the Explorers from shutting down the Quakers this time. "One of the things we didn't do too well [against Princeton] is force them to make the plays," coach Linda Carothers said. "If [La Salle] doesn't have to field the ball, and they don't have to throw the ball, their percentage of error will be zero." Although Penn hopes to force La Salle to make the crucial mistakes, solid defense and pitching will also be required on the part of the Quakers. "I think we're going to have to clean up our game," senior outfielder Hilary Stamos said. "La Salle always comes up tough. They don't quit. They keep coming back. We're not ready for teams to come back with two outs." Despite a rough week of Ivy competition, the Quakers feel they are capable of beating La Salle. If they fulfill their goals of attacking the Explorers early in the game and then stifling La Salle's offense, the Quakers will no doubt walk away from Good Shepherd Field with a victory. Sounds easy enough.
