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(09/10/98 9:00am)
New Penn men's soccer coach Rudy Fuller only has 14 field players rostered after 50 percent of last year's team did not return. When the Penn men's soccer team takes the field for its first game of the season versus William & Mary Friday, it will be a vastly different team from the one that began last season with a stunning road win at Harvard. A new coach will be roaming the sideline with a new assistant by his side, but possibly more importantly, 13 players will be gone from last year's team. With a larger than normal player turnover -- due both to graduation and personal conflicts -- the Quakers of '98 figure to have little in common with the Quakers of '97. This season sees the arrival of a new head coach -- former Georgetown assistant Brian "Rudy" Fuller -- and a new assistant -- 1998 American University graduate Jonathan Pascale. But unfortunately for the team, these additions have been overshadowed by the departure of several talented and popular on-field leaders. The list includes junior midfielder Brian Foote and senior striker Morgan Blackwell -- both Honorable Mention All-Ivy picks during the '96 season. In addition to the loss of those popular on-field leaders, the team's top scorer of a year ago, senior striker Steve Cohen, also chose not to return for this season -- a decision that "was made well back into the spring," according to Fuller. In addition to four graduated seniors, nine players total chose not to return to the men's team for the '98 season. Five, including seniors Cohen and Gregg Kroll, juniors Thomas Ruth and Austin Root and sophomore Justin Hopkins chose to do so before the start of spring practice, while four others -- including seniors Blackwell and Matt Huebner, junior Foote and sophomore Ian Stone -- did so before fall practice began on August 27. The players left for a variety of reasons, one of which was undoubtedly the new more team-oriented style of play -- allowing for less "individual freedom" -- brought to Penn by Fuller. "Those six or seven players, including Brian Foote, including Morgan Blackwell, a number of other guys? whether it was them not being able to match their teammates' efforts, or just not seeing eye-to-eye with the program or the staff or the players -- for a variety of reasons we've had a couple of guys leave the team," Fuller said. "But they've left under good terms. There are no hard feelings between the coaching staff and the players." From an offensive standpoint, the team has lost over 70 percent of its goal-scoring punch from last season. From a leadership standpoint, Penn has lost eight valuable upperclassmen from its roster. From a numbers perspective, the departures leave the Quakers "short-handed" with only 14 non-walk-on position players on the roster. But the team is far from bitter at the departures, and it doesn't seem likely that internal conflict would plague the Quakers in '98. "We 'weeded out' the guys who weren't fully committed to it, so now everyone is just really ready to get to work," senior midfielder and tri-captain Jared Boggs said. "It's exciting, everyone is out there that wants to give their heart to the team." "The team has no hard feelings [toward those who chose not to come back], and they departed on good terms," junior goalkeeper and tri-captain O'Connor stressed. "They just weren't willing to give as much as the team needed this year? the only reason that some of the guys wanted to stay around was the camaraderie on the team, but they just had conflicting things that they had to deal with. We all still respect them and get along." And in a league where the top three teams in '96 were the bottom three teams in '97, the large turnover and new coaching staff this season may turn out not to mean a whole lot. After all, the Penn women's basketball team that returned only three players last season went on to finish third in a very tough league. Much could be made of the departure of four of the teams' top five scorers from '97 by their own choice, especially if the team gets off to a slow start. But if pre-season scrimmages are any indication, then the Quakers may not be facing as large an obstacle as some think. Last Friday the team drew 1-1 with Mercer Junior College -- a team who had handed the Quakers a 4-0 loss last spring when the squad still had Foote and Blackwell on the field. On the same day, the Quakers played to a scoreless tie against a Columbia team that had dismantled them 3-0 last season. Though "on-field" leadership may be a bit lacking due to the departure of some of the squads' more popular players, the team has chosen not to focus on the past, instead pooling their collective excitement for the season to come. "We are trying to become a good team, and we have the players here necessary to become that good team, even with the losses we've taken by some players dropping off the team," Fuller said. "We've had some guys that were major contributors in the past that aren't returning, but we have done a very good job of focusing on what we do have, and not worrying about what we don't have."
(09/10/98 9:00am)
No where to go but up. The Penn men's soccer team entered last season on a high, having finished the '96 season tied for second in the Ivies. But after a seven-game losing streak before the mid-point of the season, the Quakers (1-6 Ivy League, 4-12-1 overall in '97) seemed downtrodden and out of focus. This weekend, though, an upbeat, young Quakers team begins its 1998 season at the Old Dominion Tournament in Norfolk, Va. The team faces William & Mary (2-0) on Friday at 5 p.m., and Old Dominion (1-0) on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. They begin with a new head coach, former Georgetown assistant Brian "Rudy" Fuller. With Fuller came a new assistant in former American University standout Jonathan Pascale, and a new, more team-oriented offense brought to the Penn program by the pair. The Quakers could enter their 1998 season dwelling on the changes the program has undergone in the past year, but instead the team has taken a new, more committed approach to its play this season. "Our whole system of play [this year] is a lot more passing and a lot more team-oriented work, and not a lot of individual stuff," junior midfielder Reggie Brown said. "It's a new level of team commitment this year." Outsiders and pundits may warn the Quakers about having lofty expectations for this campaign, as the team lost 13 total players, and five of its six top goal-scorers from a year ago. But with two preseason draws last Friday at Mercer Junior College with teams that had defeated them last season, the Quakers instead see only the positives of their new system. "Definitely, our excitement level is up this year. Everyone on the team believes we can win," senior defender Jared Boggs said. "In the past it seemed like people were more driven by fear, but now we have a more positive attitude." According to returning team members, coach Fuller, 27, and assistant Pascale, 23, bring a younger, fresher and more American style of play to the team than former coach, Scottish-born George O'Neill did. This season, the Quakers will feature a change in their style of play from a classic individualized attack mode to a more team-oriented game. "Our game is more about staying compact and communicating [now]," junior midfielder Jason Karageorge said. "One line doesn't move up without another one coming up to take its place." The team will likely rotate between a 3-4-3 and a 3-5-2 setup on the field. "The guys can play well in either set-up," Fuller said. "And our ability to do this makes us more dangerous." In addition, this new system will tighten up a defense that allowed an Ivy-high 31 goals last season. "The system, if played well, is very difficult to score against. It's very difficult for the other team to score soft goals against us," Fuller said. "I would expect that our goals against would get cut down significantly." For the Quakers, communication on defense and teamwork should not be hard to find. Despite being hard hit by personnel losses, the team still returns 11 field players -- including seven who started more than 50 percent of the games from last season. In tri-captains Boggs, senior midfielder Ralph Maier and junior goalie Michael O'Connor, the team has an experienced core of returning leaders who have been together and know what it takes to compete for the Ivy crown. Junior Tom Hughes brings a 6'6" frame and a Second Team All-Ivy selection a year ago to complement junior middle back Ted Lehman on defense. Brown and Karageorge will round out a solid returning midfield. "A lot of talented guys who sat on the bench before are finally getting a chance to play," Karageorge said. "So the excitement level is real high this year." The fact that the team currently has only 19 "recruited" players on its roster -- including four goalkeepers -- could concern some, but it doesn't seem to phase the Quakers. "Our freshmen [Aaron Cohen, John Salvucci, Carlos Torres and Robert Gibson (out with a hamstring injury)] have done very well in fall practice," Fuller said. "They should be able to give us some quality minutes and be quality contributors this season." In addition, the team held walk-on tryouts earlier this week and took on an additional four freshmen and three sophomores to their roster. "There is not one player that we don't have full confidence in," stressed O'Connor, whose four shutouts in his freshman season are a good example of first-year players stepping right into Ivy play. "Every sub can go in and do the job. There's five guys sitting the bench who can go in and do what needs to be done. There are 14 possible starters -- it's not like we have 11 guys and then the bench." What could be a concern for the Quakers this season, though, is a less-than-potent offense. "We have tried to put together a system that really takes advantage of the experience we have in the back and the talent we have in the middle of the field, and really maybe hide the fact that we don't have an out-and-out striker on the team -- a guy that has a nose for the goal that can stick the ball in the back of the net," coach Fuller said. "How we need to score goals is through numbers getting forward. We have to attack as a team." Last year, the Quakers put only 15 goals on the board in 17 games, and the team has netted only one in the course of five scrimmages since last spring. "We had a string of one-goal games [last year] that we lost. The first weekend at a tournament we lost the last two games 1-0, and the same thing the next weekend? it kind of just snowballed from there. Guys were just getting frustrated," O'Connor said. "We're hoping not to run into that this season. We want to get a couple of early victories and get the snowball started the other way." The Quakers will get their chance to start their snowball on its way at the Old Dominion Tournament this weekend. The team didn't face either Old Dominion or William & Mary in last year's campaign. ODU was 6-3 at home last year, and William & Mary -- which features junior All-American Adin Brown and his stingy 1.12 goals against average in net -- was ranked No. 18 in pre-season polls. A year ago this weekend, the Quakers won their first two games. Hopefully the team can combine a little bit of its past with a lot of its future to pull out a couple of wins this weekend.
(04/29/98 9:00am)
The Penn women's lacrosse team's up-and-down season came to a disappointing end at a damp and dreary Franklin Field Sunday against Ivy League foe Brown. The Quakers ended '98 with their fifth consecutive loss, a 15-5 defeat at the hands of the Bears. "We were playing tentative and we were playing scared," Penn coach Anne Sage said. "I'm kind of puzzled really -- I would've liked to have ended on a good note." The final good note got more sour as the Bears netted six within an eight-minute period at the start of the second half, blowing open a two-goal halftime lead. "We got a lot of our momentum in the first half and just had trouble carrying it over," Weinstein said. "Brown just kept putting the ball in the net, and our confidence kept dropping a little more." Brown ended the game with eight consecutive strikes by five different players to close out the Quakers' season. Attacker Keely McDonald led Brown with five goals, while Schettini added three and an assist. At the start of the game, though, it did not appear as if the Quakers would be on the losing end. After a short pre-game presentation, Penn senior co-captains Darah Ross and Emily Hansel led a fired-up Quakers team out of the gate. Hansel scored one minute in, and freshman attacker Amy Weinstein made it 2-0 three minutes later. But just as it appeared that the Quakers (4-9, 2-5 Ivy League) would reverse recent trends and put up a big showing, Brown (5-7, 2-3) sticks came alive. Bears junior defenseman Elizabeth Rodgers scored her first of two goals, and then McDonald scored two straight within a 40-second span to steal the Quakers' lead and move ahead 3-2 10 minutes in. "I think Brown was ready to play and knew they could beat us," Hansel said. "We just lost our momentum [after the quick start]." A Ross goal with just 59 seconds left in the first half cut the lead to one, but a wild scramble in front of the Penn net ended with a "trash" Bears goal -- knocked in field hockey style -- just seven seconds before the break. Brown was able to get confidence from this newfound two-goal lead, and Penn was never in the game in the second frame. "Brown outhustled us to the ball and outplayed us second half," Sage said. Hansel retaliated for the Quakers three minutes into the half-- the final time that Penn would score this season -- to cut the lead to 7-5, but the final 30 minutes were all Brown. "[This final game] was a little disappointing because we lost to a team that I think that we could have beaten," Ross said. "I don't really know what happened in the second half. They created a lot of turnovers in their end." This loss is the end of a turbulent '98 season for a Quakers team where fully half of the roster was composed of first-year players. "It was a season that had a lot of ups and downs," Hansel said. "But the freshmen and sophomores did a great job this year and really got a lot of experience in the field. They're only losing two [players] -- which is excellent and which is probably less than most other teams in the Ivy League." Also, as usual, Penn faced stiff competition throughout the season -- both inside and outside of Ivy competition. The Quakers fell to all six Top 15 teams they played, but gained valuable experience with their exposure. Nonetheless, the team's optimism for '99 is tempered by the realization that next year they'll be without not just their two experienced leaders, but more significantly without two of the top 11 goals scorers in Penn women's lacrosse history. Hansel ended her season Sunday with 25 goals in '98, giving her 57 for her career -- 11th all time for the Quakers. Ross ended with 32 on the year -- 73 over all four years -- eighth all time on the Red and Blue goals list.
(04/24/98 9:00am)
Penn's women's lacrosse team returns home after a three-game road trip in search of a victory. The Penn Relays are a tough act to follow. But the Penn women's lacrosse team will give its best shot at doing so on the turf of Franklin Field this Sunday as it heads into its final game of the '98 season at 1 p.m. against Brown. The Quakers -- 4-8, 2-4 Ivy League -- enter their finale on a four-game skid, including two big losses in a row in League play. In a contrast to a 2-0 Quakers' start to the year that saw them outscore their opponents 2-1, over their last four games Quaker opponents have outscored them at over a 3-1 rate. "It's been a roller-coaster season," Penn coach Anne Sage said after the team's 19-4 loss to No. 5 Princeton Wednesday. "We've been struggling lately, but we have played two number one teams [in the Ivy League] back to back. You just hope that your players get on the same page and regroup," Sage said. "Now we're looking for a very competitive finale, I want to end up on a good note." Recent results not withstanding, the team remains upbeat and ready to play. The Quakers still stand at 4-2 at Franklin Field, versus 0-6 on the road. This bodes well for the team, as it returns home to play an unranked Ivy opponent for its important end of the year contest. "I think that we're all optimistic [at facing Brown] after coming off of some big losses, and are ready to finish the season on a good note," junior defenseman Jen Leisman said. "We definitely feel that Brown is within our reach. It's a case of us being able to execute the fundamentals the way we are able to and not falling apart once we get into the game." Brown -- 4-7, 1-3 -- is coming off of a 9-5 loss to Yale Wednesday. The Bears have played their opponents tough all season, with four losses coming by one goal. Brown is led by senior midfielder Phoebe Koch who has 21 points in her last five games and sophomore defenseman Danielle Saint Louis who was named Ivy defensive player of the week earlier this season. Sunday will be the final game in the four-year careers of Penn senior co-captains Darah Ross and Emmy Hansel. While tallying over half of the Quakers goals this season, Ross (31 goals) and Hansel (23), each has moved into the top 12 on the Quakers' all-time goal-scorers list. More importantly than this offensive output, the pair has also played a major leadership role as the only seniors on a team dominated by first year players. "I'd like to end on a good note and leave Emmy and Darah with something to remember," Leisman said. "Hopefully we'll be able to take [Brown] on and show our stuff, especially for our seniors in their last game." In last season's meeting, the Quakers, despite seven second half goals -- two by Hansel -- lost to the Bears in a close match, 13-10. This year, with both teams in the middle of the Ivy pack, another close game can be expected. The Quakers are hoping to turn around their recent woes and end their up-and-down season on a high note with a strong showing in league play to build on for '99. "I would hope we finish up as competitors, individually and collectively as a team," Sage said. "We're hungry for a win."
(04/20/98 9:00am)
The Penn women's lacrosse team fell below .500 in the Ivy League for the third time this season after a 17-7 loss at No. 9 Dartmouth Saturday afternoon. The Quakers (4-7, 2-3 Ivy League), who are losers of their last three, fell to the Big Green by 10 goals for the second straight year. Despite scoring efforts from five players -- including three from senior co-captain Darah Ross -- the Quakers once again could not recover from a large early deficit. Dartmouth (8-1, 4-0) came out playing like the defending Ivy co-champions they are. The first of four goals tallied by Big Green sophomore Jacque Weitzel came just one minute into the contest. Similar to their 13-7 loss at Rutgers Thursday, before the Quakers could respond they were down 5-0. "It's difficult when we get down early, and especially difficult with a team that was that strong," freshman attacker Annie Henderson said. Goals from Henderson and Ross cut the Big Green lead to 5-2 before the experience and efficiency of Dartmouth's scoring machine took over. "Right after we made it 5-2, we had a shot go right off the post," Ross said. "It was almost 5-3, and that was a wake-up call for [Dartmouth]. After that, they really turned it around." Although nine Dartmouth players scored on the day, one player helped break the game open. Freshman Liz Merritt scored three goals during a run which saw the Big Green tally four goals within a 95-second period in the middle of the first half. This scoring binge was the beginning of a six-goal Dartmouth run that closed out the first half. This run -- during which the Quakers were held scoreless for nearly 20 minutes -- gave the Big Green a nine-goal advantage at the break. "Once they started scoring, they got the momentum going their way," Penn freshman attacker Amy Weinstein said. "At times we didn't know how to pick up the pace [of our game]." The Quakers never got closer than eight in the final 30 minutes even after the Big Green replaced second-team All-Ivy junior netminder Sarah Carlson at the half. "They played a lot tighter defense that other teams that we had seen," Weinstein said. "One of our strengths is making that connecting pass on transition, but they were marking us tight and not allowing us to do that. People were running up the field and not having anyone to pass to." Most of Penn's inability to close the lead lay not on the Quakers' attack but on this stifling Dartmouth defense in the midfield. The Quakers frequently could not get the ball near the Dartmouth net and got off only 18 shots compared to 36 by the home team. "We knew going in that they were going to be very fast, and they were," Henderson said. "[But then] we kept losing the ball in the midfield -- they were doubling and trapping the ball, and stopped out mid-field transition." The Quakers' offense did pick up in the second half, though, as both Henderson and sophomore Amy Padula ended the day with a goal and an assist apiece for the Quakers. In net, Penn freshman Christian Stover was replaced early in the second half by sophomore Melissa Rantz, as the Quakers hoped a different look on defense might slow the Big Green down. It did help, to some extent, as the Quakers were only outscored 6-5 by the Ivy League's highest scoring offense in the second half. Rantz -- who faced Dartmouth in part of last year's match -- made four saves to go against four goals during her time in net.
(04/17/98 9:00am)
After a bod loss to Rutgers, the Penn women's lacrosse team returns to Ivy action Saturday. Tonight, in its last non-league match of the season, the Penn women's lacrosse team was dropped 13-7 by Rutgers at the Scarlet Knights' Yurcak Field. Going into the Rutgers match, the Quakers (4-6, 2-2 Ivy League) knew they would be in for a good game. The Scarlet Knights (9-3) pulled off a surprising upset of No. 5 Temple earlier this week, but the Quakers were hoping to catch Rutgers overconfident and too relaxed. Despite the Quakers being tied up 3-3 with the Scarlet Knights halfway through the first half, it was all down hill after that as Rutgers scored six of the next seven goals. Penn was led by freshman Annie Henderson, who notched two goals. The Scarlet Knights' Dina Cavallo netted four goals, including the hundredth of her career, on her home field. Following this loss, the Quakers now begin a tough season-ending three-game stretch with a road trip to No. 9 Dartmouth tomorrow at noon. "We're preparing right now for all four games," said Penn coach Anne Sage before yesterday's Rutgers game. "We can't sit back and hope things are going to happen.? I want to get to ground balls, concentrate and execute to make things happen." So far in '98, though, the Quakers have had an up-and-down season in the conference. Tough league losses at Cornell and Yale have been alternated with big wins over Columbia and Harvard. The Quakers, though, hope to forget last night's non-league game going into Dartmouth. "The outcome of the Rutgers game will effect our attitude going into Dartmouth, no matter what," Penn goalie Melissa Rantz said. "We're going to be pumped going into Dartmouth, because we want to win and because its an Ivy matchup. They can definitely be beaten." Dartmouth (7-1, 3-0) is one of the stronger Ivy teams, and is looking to remain undefeated at home. The Big Green -- who shared the Ivy League crown with Princeton a year ago -- defeated the Quakers at Franklin Field, 16-6, in the 1997 campaign. This season, Dartmouth has posted impressive wins over Yale (12-10), Brown (20-11) and Cornell (23-7) in league play. Wednesday, the Big Green defeated Vermont, 19-1, behind goals from 13 different players. "The number of goals isn't necessarily significant -- we just try to do what it takes to win," Dartmouth coach Amy Patton said. "Every game we're looking to go in and get the win. We just set up a game plan and try to follow though with it." The Big Green's huge offense is led by sophomores Emily Fenwick and Jacque Weitzel, who combined for 58 points last season. "They have a good attack, they're fast and they'll switch hands without hesitation and go in for the goal," Rantz -- who faced Dartmouth in net last season -- said. The Big Green's Weitzel, who scored six goals in the Cornell win, has been the Ivy League's Offensive Player of the Week each of the last two weeks. "[Weitzel] is good -- we're going to have to shut her down," Sage said. "We just have to sort some things out and get on the same page. We have our work cut out for us, but we're ready to take them on." The Quakers counter the Big Green with an explosive offense of their own. Henderson and senior co-captains Darah Ross and Emmy Hanselcan each put up big numbers anytime. The trio have 14 multiple-goal games between them and have accounted for 58 of the 74 Quakers' scores up to the Rutgers game. "We definitely respect Penn," Patton said. "Every team in the Ivies, through and through, is good, but [Penn] is always up. And they have good speed in the midfield." In net, Dartmouth junior Sarah Carlson will look to shut down the Quakers. Carlson earned second-team All-Ivy honors in '97 after compiling an 8.36 goals against average. The Quakers will need to really push their attack on Carlson because they have been drastically outshot in recent matches. This includes a 32-15 shot deficit against Lafayette and a 40-23 disadvantage against Yale -- both losses. Nonetheless, the team is hoping to work off of its shutout of Lafayette over the last 30 minutes Monday. Quakers freshman goalie Christian Stover and freshmen defensemen Amy Goh and Sarah Evans will look to carry this smothering play into Dartmouth tomorrow. "If we play a hard defense, we have a good chance at being successful," Stover said. "But I hope the good defensive effort will carry over sooner rather than later."
(04/14/98 9:00am)
The Quakers shut out the visiting Leopards in the second half, but they could not overcome a six-goal deficit. Coming off of a big Ivy win over Harvard last Saturday, the Penn women's lacrosse team expected to continue its winning ways last night against Lafayette at Franklin Field. The Quakers (4-5) quickly returned to earth, though, as the three-time defending Patriot League champion Leopards (5-5) dealt the Red and Blue a convincing 7-2 defeat. "I was just very unhappy with the performance," Penn coach Anne Sage said. "We didn't hustle to ground balls. We didn't get into the game mentally. We were flat. Lafayette came down and just wanted to beat us." In Saturday's home win over Harvard, the Quakers scored the first five goals, holding on for the 11-10 Ivy win. Last night, though, it was the Quakers' opponent who scored the first five goals with strong play in the early minutes. The Quakers were flat in the first half, being outhustled, outshot (20-8) and beaten on the draws. Lafayette's Olivia Long and Loren Berkheimer combined for five goals in building a 7-1 halftime lead. "They came out really strong. I don't think we were really awake at the beginning," Penn senior co-captain Darah Ross said. "We had some problems with our fundamentals today. They capitalized on those mistakes and turned them into goals." After the Harvard win, Penn opted not to have practice Sunday. At halftime last night, though, it was clear the team was not performing like a prepared unit. The Quakers then tried to make up for their lost day of practice by passing and picking up ground balls during halftime instead of entering the normal huddle. After regrouping, the Quakers went out and played a stellar 30 defensive minutes. But Penn senior co-captain Emmy Hansel's spectacular goal -- with the foul -- at just seven minutes remaining was the only tally for either team in the second frame. Hansel ended up with both Penn goals in what was the lowest scoring game -- and the lowest scoring half -- for the Quakers this year. Quakers freshman goalie Christian Stover played another strong game in net, making several big saves in a shutout second half. Stover faced 17 more shots than her Leopards counterpart and had 18 saves on the game. "Christian [Stover] kept us in," Sage said. "She's been a stabilizing force back there. She's really stepped up, and that's important." Once again, however, a strong second-half effort was not enough to bring the Quakers back into the game. "The first half, everyone, including me, was just a little out of it for one reason or another," Stover said. "That's one of our problems -- not getting into the game in the first half. [Against Harvard] was the first time all year that we'd been able to capitalize in the beginning." "We just didn't have the ball [in the first half]. They were just beating us on the draw, getting the ground balls, the missed passing," Sage said. "[In the second half] we played better -- but when you're down six goals you have to do something." The Quakers, who defeated the Leopards 16-11 in last year's finale, just did not seem ready last night. While Penn's shutout second-half defense was its best performance on that end this season, it wasn't enough to overcome a six-goal halftime deficit. Nor was it enough to remove the bitter taste from Sage's mouth about the performance. In the end, it was the same old story -- too little too late.
(04/07/98 9:00am)
The Penn women's lacrosse team travels to the Yale Bowl today to make up a March 21 rainout with the Elis. For the Quakers (3-3, 1-1 Ivy League), tomorrow's make-up match against the No. 13 Yale Elis is a very important mid-season Ivy test. Originally scheduled as the Quakers' season opener on March 21, the rain-out is being played at the Yale Bowl during what was a five-day break in the Quakers' schedule. "We're underdogs, and I love to be the underdog. I love to be the spoiler," Penn coach Anne Sage said before the original match was rained out. "If we play well, we're going to come home with a 'W'." Two weeks and six games later, the Quakers' attitude is much the same. "We're definitely good enough to give them a good game and to win," senior co-captain Emmy Hansel said. The Elis (5-1,1-1 Ivy) are coming off two solid wins this past weekend. Following their first setback of the season -- 12-10 to No. 12 Dartmouth March 28 -- the Elis defeated Boston University 12-10 and Harvard 12-11 this past weekend in two hard-fought matches. In their contest at home versus Harvard, the Elis scored the last five goals of the game to pick up the win. As a result of this come-from-behind victory, the No. 13 Elis should have a lot of momentum on their side as they take on the Quakers at home today. The Quakers, however, seem to be heading in the same direction as the Elis. Following a second half against Temple which saw the Quakers dramatically limit the Owls offense, the Quakers played well on all sides of the ball in an 11-5 win over Columbia Sunday. "[Against Columbia] we gained confidence in the second half that we could pick up our game," junior attacker Katy Miller said. Six Quakers scored goals for a diverse offensive output over the weekend, but two in particular keyed the Quakers' 7-2 second half advantage over the Lions. Senior co-captain Darah Ross (21 goals) and freshman Annie Henderson (11 goals) have each scored in five of the six Quaker games. "Anyone on our team is capable of a big output," Ross said after her third six-goal effort of the season against Columbia Sunday. The test for Penn today will be to get past Elis goalie Alison Cole. The junior has played very well in the Elis' recent games, recording 17 saves in each of the last two. Penn's coaches, however, remain optimistic about the team's chances. "We picked apart Columbia on Sunday," Sage said. "Passing-wise and catching-wise, we had a very consistent second half." In several games this season, Quaker opponents have managed to put together prolonged scoring stretches, so a key for the Quakers today may be to jump on top early instead of being forced to play catch-up. "I think if we get there and score a few quick goals, we have a chance to beat them," freshman goalie Christian Stover said. The Elis, who come in No. 13 in the country, defeated the Quakers last year 12-10. This year against a less experienced Quaker team that has had several tough losses so far this season, the Elis may be primed for a better showing. If nothing else, Penn is certain to have its hands full on defense. The Elis return the '97 Ivy Rookie of the Year -- sophomore attacker Heather Bentley. Bentley has already scored 23 goals for the Elis this season, while junior attacker Alyssa Chen has pitched in with 17 more. Stover, whose two solid performances this weekend in the Quakers' net were her first on the collegiate level, is set to prevent Bentley and the Elis from putting up big numbers. "I'm expecting the team to have a good game -- if our heads are mentally in it," Stover said.
(04/03/98 10:00am)
The Penn women's lacrosse team returns to Franklin Field tonight, facing Temple at 7 p.m. and looking to end a two game slide on the familiarity of its home turf. The Quakers get no rest this weekend, following their match against the No. 2 ranked Owls with Ivy foe Columbia Sunday at 1 p.m. "It is going to be a tough weekend. It's a nice advantage being at home, but it's not necessarily going to make the games that much easier," Penn assistant coach Alanna Wren said. The Quakers (2-2, 0-1 Ivy) need a boost and are looking for some solid play after recent losses. After two big out-of-conference home wins to start the season, the Quakers took a downturn in losing their last two -- Cornell (15-9) and Loyola (19-4) -- on the road. "I think it helped us learn," sophomore goalie Melissa Rantz said. "It's nicer to have those games early in the season because you have to learn from your mistakes and improve on them." Against Temple, though, the level of competition may actually be higher than it was in the Quakers' previous games. The Owls (6-2), have already faced three top-15 teams this season -- defeating No. 15 Old Dominion but losing to No. 4 Maryland and No. 10 James Madison. The Quakers, in preseason scrimmages at the William and Mary Tournament, also defeated Old Dominion and lost to James Madison -- which could be a good sign. Although Temple is not an Ivy game for the Quakers, it still has extra meaning as a cross-city rivalry. "Temple is always tough," Wren said. "Every year is seems to be a battle -- usually somebody gets thrown out or someone gets stitches. They play a very physical game. We'll really have to go after the ball." The Owls are led on offense by senior twins Alex and Claudia Ovchinnikoff. Claudia, a first-team All- American attacker, is the Owls' leading scorer, with 33 goals and five assists. Her twin sister, a second-team All-American midfielder, already has 24 goals as well -- the two forming a very potent offensive combination. "To put up any type of fight against Temple we really need to be on our defensive game," Wren said. "I think the defense is hungry. A lot of goals have been scored against us recently, so they're going to try to pull the pieces together." Not to be outdone, the Owl defense is led in net by goalie Iris Alvarado. The sophomore had the NCAA-lowest 5.35 goals against average last season. "Their defense is good, their goalie is really good, but their strength is definitely their attack," Wren said. In the second game this weekend, the Quakers face a younger Columbia team. Despite the fact that they are only one season removed from club status, the Lions are still not to be taken lightly, Penn players say. "Columbia is going to be more of our type of game. Not as physical, not as much of a challenge," Wren said. "I imagine that they'll be well coached, but their skills will be that of a team that's just starting out." Sophomore Katie Bergstrom and junior Marie Ewens lead the Lions' attack into Franklin Field. In last year's game, the Quakers pulled away late, winning 19-10. This year, in their first season Ivy games counting in the standings, the Lions may come out looking to upstage the more veteran Penn program. "We just want to play really well because this is an Ivy game and we want to win in the Ivies," Rantz said. The Quakers are aiming to come out of this weekend on a positive, winning note, and expect the home field advantage to help -- if only just a little bit. "We're hoping that both offensively and defensively we can play the game that we know we can play," sophomore goalie Bethany Stafford said. "As opposed to our last few games, it's a chance to step up and really show how well we can play and show our potential."
(03/30/98 10:00am)
Cornell's women's lacrosse team scored the first nine goals. The outcome of the first Ivy League game usually tells a lot about what the season holds. Saturday's 15-9 loss at Cornell sends a message to the Penn women's lacrosse team that it definitely has room for improvement in the Ivies this season. Penn (2-1, 0-1 Ivy League) did not get off to nearly the start they desired. Cornell scored first. And second. And third. It was that kind of day. "We didn't come ready to play," Penn coach Anne Sage said. "We dug ourselves in a hole. By the time we started to really play we were down by six or seven goals." It wasn't until there were only 90 seconds left in the first half that freshman defender Amy Goh put the Quakers on the board with her first of the two goals on the day. By this point, however, it was already 9-0, Big Red. Cornell (3-1, 1-0) was led in its offensive outburst with four goals each by sophomore Kathy Knapp and freshman Lauren Ogorek. Knapp scored all of her goals in the Big Red's big first half -- including three in a four-minute span. "We started out slow, and in the first half we let Cornell take control. We weren't as aggressive as Cornell and didn't go after the ball," junior attacker Katy Miller said. "In the second half we were more evenly matched, though." To the Quakers' credit, they did manage to net three quick goals in the waning minutes of the first half. Combined with two goals from senior co-captain Emmy Hansel in the first five minutes of the second half, Penn found themselves down only 10-5 with 25 minutes to play -- by no means an insurmountable deficit. The Big Red, however, matched the Quakers goal-for-goal the rest of the way, never letting Penn cut the lead to less than five. In many ways, this was not one game, but two. The Big Red clearly dominated the first half, building a 9-3 lead. Penn, though, came back and played almost as well as the home team for the last 30 minutes, equalling the Big Red's second-half scoring output with six. "Our whole warm-up was very flat. No one seemed to be able to get it going," Penn senior co-captain Emmy Hansel said. "[But] we actually outplayed Cornell in the second half once we were energized." Senior co-captain Darah Ross continued with her scoring binge, adding two goals to her previous total of 12. Hansel was the Quakers' leading scorer with two goals and an assist. Freshman attacker Annie Henderson scored her sixth goal of the year, while Miller and freshman defenseman Sarah Evans each netted their first collegiate goals. This newfound diversity on offense, however, was dampered by the end result of the game. "I think if we had started out and played stronger from the beginning of the game, the score would've been very different," Evans said. "Cornell had a much more structured offense [than Stanford and Ohio State]. They did a good job of making us look back and forth -- both behind the crease and upfield." In contrast to the Quakers' first two games this season, they were outshot 30-20 by the opposition. Cornell's shot-advantage proved to be a strain on the Penn goalies, who could combine for only five saves. In addition, Cornell won more draws (11-5), picked up more ground balls (10-7), had more interceptions (3-0) and scored more goals from the free position (9-3). "We were outhustled," Sage said. "The game was two very different halves, but we had to play the whole game." This win was Cornell's first against an Ivy League team since April 1995 -- snapping a string of 16 consecutive league losses.
(03/27/98 10:00am)
With two wins in two contests, an undefeated women's lacrosse heads north to tangle with Cornell. What a difference a year makes. Tomorrow, the Penn women's lacrosse team (2-0) goes into their Ivy opener at Cornell (2-1) undefeated, prepared and excited. Under probable warm and sunny skies on the grass of the Big Red's Berman Field, the Quakers will try to win their third straight. Last season, on this same weekend, the Quakers went into its Ivy opener at Cornell winless and tired. In a blinding snowstorm on the turf of the Big Red's Schoellkopf Field, the Quakers won an unbelievably close 15-14 match in sudden-death double overtime. "No words can describe the horror that we went through that day [last year]," sophomore goalie Melissa Rantz said. "We couldn't feel our fingers, they were clenched, frozen to the stick." The contrast between last year's game and tomorrow's is not lost on the team. "We felt like we were in Alaska. We could've built an igloo with the snow that was on the ground," sophomore midfielder Lee Ann Sechovicz said. "This year will be so much better. We're excited. It's good to go in with two wins. We're psyched up." With home wins of 19-8 over Stanford and 9-6 over Ohio State so far this season, the Quakers have proven that they are psyched up for their games and can come ready to play. "[The wins] are definitely a confidence builder," senior co-captain Emmy Hansel said. "Especially the first game when we scored so many goals -- that really helped our attack. And then yesterday, I think we had a really good defensive effort." The Quakers' leading scorer thus far this season -- co-captain Darah Ross -- netted five last season against the Big Red. With 12 goals in just two games so far in '98, it's clear the senior is capable of having another big effort. Although Ross has tallied 12 of the 28 Quaker goals over the two games, almost any Quaker is capable of putting it in the net. Seven Quakers have scored overall, including four with multiple tallies. On the other end of the field, goalie Sue Back has "played out of her mind" in the first two games. The junior has allowed only 14 goals, half the number scored by the Quaker offense. She, and the rest of the team's stellar defense, is looking to continue to play well against the Big Red. After the Stanford game, Penn coach Anne Sage said, "It's a great win, a stepping-stone which we have with regard to Cornell -- which is our first Ivy. I want to be 3-0 after Cornell going into Loyola." The Big Red (2-1) are led by attacker Cari Hills (11 goals, 2 assists). The senior -- who had three goals to go with four assists against the Quakers in '97 -- has been the Big Red's leading scorer the past three years. "Cornell plays a game similar to ours -- man-to-man through the midfield. They have more finesse than Ohio State," Penn assistant coach Alanna Wren said. "We're just working our game, we're not as concerned about them as with us." Senior tri-captain Meredith Scardino, who anchors the Cornell midfield, will lead the Big Red attempt to take the Quakers out of their game. Junior goalie Sonia Novik will try to contain the Quaker offense in her first year in net. "We really don't expect anything different from Cornell from any of the other teams, so we're just trying to master our attack," Hansel said. Tomorrow's game is being played on Cornell's grass field, instead of their turf playing surface, which may have an effect on the Quakers' use of speed in their offense. "You feel like you're a lot faster when you're playing on turf, so I think that it's always a little interesting when you go to grass," Ross said. The team practiced yesterday on the Quaker soccer field, though, in preparation for the game. "[The grass] will take a little bit of the speed aspect out of the game. It will change the goalie game a lot," Wren said. "We needed a day to get ready for it, but today should have done it." Since this is Cornell's first match on their home grass field -- they won at Virginia Tech and Lafayette and lost at Vanderbilt -- it probably will not be that big of an edge going the Big Red's way. No matter the weather, the field conditions or the opponent, though, the Quakers themselves are ready to go out and play. "I think they're excited. It's nice to go into Ivy League play 2-0. I think they're ready," Wren said.
(03/26/98 10:00am)
The Penn women's lacrosse team won its second game in a row, this time against Ohio State. Sunday night, the Penn women's lacrosse team showed their offensive power in a 19-8 rout of Stanford. Last night, the Quakers reversed course and showed their defensive prowess in picking up a big confidence-building 9-6 victory over Ohio State at Franklin Field. "Offensively we had some big plays, and defensively we had some big plays, and that carried us," Penn coach Anne Sage said. "I think [goalie] Sue Back was outstanding. The defense overall came up with some key plays." The Quakers (2-0) came in knowing they had a tougher match ahead of them with Ohio State than they had in their season-opening victory over Stanford. "I think we were really up for this game," Back said. "We knew what their score was against Stanford [a 20-9 win], and we knew that it would be a better matchup." The Buckeyes came out hard, striking just two minutes into the game to give the Quakers their first deficit of the young season. Not fazed at all, Penn senior co-captain Darah Ross came back with a lightening quick response for the Quakers just under a minute later. Ross had six goals, and if not for a Buckeye tally with a minute remaining, would have outscored Ohio State by herself. Still, the game was back and forth until the Quakers were able to put together a run of four straight goals late in the first half. Once the Quakers got the lead they were not readily willing to relinquish it. Every time Ohio State scored, the Quakers had an answer. The Buckeyes could not put together back-to-back goals all evening. When Ohio State scored with 15 minutes left, the Buckeyes pulled within 6-4 and looked to have a chance at a comeback. Within two minutes, though, Ross and senior co-captain Emily Hansel had each netted a goal and the Quaker lead was safely to four. "We rallied. As the game got keener, we started to come up with some big plays," Sage said. "We played aggressive, powerful lacrosse." Freshman Annie Henderson scored the first goal of the second half -- her fifth of the season -- on a spectacular move evading two defenders. Hansel chipped in two more, giving her six for the year. Her second of the night, midway through the second half, was off a beautiful feed from Ross and seemed to break the Buckeye back. Regardless of the Quaker's continued scoring success, the real story of this game may have been the team's outstanding defensive play. In net, Back -- who had 14 saves in the season opener -- held Ohio State scoreless for 23 minutes in the first half and made three key stops right before the break. "I just have to be ready for every shot," Back, shrugging it off, said. "I wish I saved a couple more. But we compensated for each other and we work well together as a team." The entire defense -- including junior Jenni Leisman and freshmen Sara Evens and Amy Goh -- stuffed numerous promising Buckeye attacks. Time after time, they turned these around into speedy Quaker attacks heading the other way. Ohio State freshman attacker Erin Anderson was able to net three goals against the Quaker defense, but it was not nearly enough. On another note, in a big loss for the team, the Quakers learned before the game that they will be without midfielder Brooke Jenkins for the remainder of the season. The junior -- who was fourth on the team with 19 goals last season -- will undergo knee surgery as a result of an injury suffered in the closing minutes of the season opener. Nonetheless, the team responded very well in her absence. "This was a great comeback win. It's a 'W' and it's such a team confidence builder," Sage said. "Collectively they rallied and they played well together. We're getting better with each game."
(03/24/98 10:00am)
Cliff Bayer could not repeat as champion, but Fencing placed sixth. In a spectacular effort this past weekend in the 1998 NCAA fencing championships, four Penn fencers earned All-American honors -- including three First Team All-Americans on the men's side. Freshman Yaron Roth and sophomore Cliff Bayer both earned First Team in the foil as freshman Michael Golia excelled to First Team honors in the sabre. Freshman epee Kari Coley earned Honorable Mention All-American honors on the women's side. As a combined men's and women's team, Quakers fencing finished sixth in this four-day national event -- second only to Columbia among Ivy teams in attendance. The men's squad (9-4, 3-2 Ivy League) qualified five of a possible six fencers to last weekend's nationals in Notre Dame, Ind., while Penn women (10-7, 2-3) sent three out of a maximum four. Each event was held over a two-day period, with preliminary five-point bouts giving way to 15-point bouts in the final four. Golia won 17-of-23 preliminary bouts en route to a fourth seeding going into the finals. Golia then beat the number one seed, Paolo Roselli, before falling to a fellow fencing club member -- Notre Dame's Luke LaValle -- 15-11 in the final. "I'm ecstatic. I spent the whole year thinking about the NCA's and to do so well as a freshman," Golia said. "The first day I was on fire. I was expecting top eight, but I surprised myself with second." Unlike Golia, Bayer -- the defending NCAA champion and a 1996 Olympian -- came in favored and looking to repeat. Continuing a theme of youth, though, freshman Roth had different ideas, defeating his teammate in the closest of semi-final bouts, 15-14, to move on to the final. "The fencing was peculiar [during that bout]. I couldn't cheer for any touches because they're both my guys," Micahnik said. "I guess it's a bit of an upset, but Yaron's a good fencer and he's been on the national scene." Although Roth lost to Yale's Ayo Griffin, 15-13, in a hotly-contested final with several controversial judging calls, the Roth and Bayer duo still gave the Penn men an exceptional two-three foil finish. "I was excited a bit, but I was used to it," Roth said. "It was hard competition. I was very disappointed because it was so very close" Penn freshman Charles Hamann (17th place) and junior captain John Wright (21st place) both performed well for the men's epee in what was the first trip for each to the NCAAs. The Quaker women too put up a very respectable showing. Coley garnered Honorable Mention All-American honors, finishing ninth in the country in the women's epee. "Kari did a really nice job," Micahnik said. "She missed second team by a hair, but we'll take it." In women's foil, junior Jagna Gromulska finished 17th, while sophomore Margo Katz -- in her second NCAA appearance -- finished 22nd. "The NCAAs are great in the sense of the camaraderie. Everyone wanted to fence tough, but was very friendly," Gromulska said. The junior, who received only one of two waivers nationwide to NCAAs after missing Regionals, added that,"I felt sort of honored to fence with the best. I was very happy I made it to that circle." The Quakers were pleased to be able to send eight out of a possible 10 team members to the NCAAs, and even more content when these fencers returned to Weightman Gym as a part of one of the most successful Quakers fencing squads at the NCAAs ever. "The kids have done a great job," Micahnik said. "Show me another team with four All-Americans."
(03/17/98 10:00am)
The Penn women's lacrosse team faced stiff competition last week in a pair of exhibition games leading up to Saturday's season opener at Yale. Penn performed well, showing a great deal of improvement in their scrimmages. On March 7-8, the Quakers participated in the 15th annual William and Mary Invitational Tournament. This event, which takes place in Williamsburg, Va., featured William and Mary and Penn in addition to over 30 other teams, including two national squads -- the United Sates and Wales -- playing simultaneously on three fields. The matches in this Invitational were different from those in the regular season -- the scrimmages were only 30 minutes long instead of the normal 60, as Penn played six games of this shortened variety over a two-day period. The Invite gave the Quakers a chance to play against a wide variety of playing styles. On Saturday, the Quakers began their day with three consecutive difficult opponents. The Quakers lost to No. 9 James Madison to start the day, but were able to defeat 15th-ranked Old Dominion in their next scrimmage. The Red and Blue then were faced with the daunting task of taking on the U.S. National Team. Not surprisingly, the nation's finest beat Penn. The Quakers, however, later proved better than Wales' finest, beating the Welsh National Team later that afternoon. Throw in a win over Drexel between the two games against the national teams and the Quakers ended Saturday at 3-2. Sunday, in a schedule shortened by "torrential rain," Penn defeated Johns Hopkins, the 3rd ranked team in Division III, in their only match of the day. "We became very, very competitive by the end of Sunday," Penn head coach Anne Sage said. "We could see a difference." The team quickly moved from one site to another, and spent the next four days practicing and competing in Hilton Head, S.C. Eighteen team members, including all five upperclassmen, went on the trip. "It was good for the team to spend a lot of time together outside of lacrosse," freshman attacker Amy Weinstein said. "[The best part] was practicing at night in the dark." Last Thursday night in Hilton Head, the Quakers faced 10th-ranked William and Mary, a team that starts eight seniors. Penn played well but fell to the Tribe, 12-8. This match was an exhibition as well -- one designed in part to bring a collegiate-level lacrosse match to an area of the country that would not normally see such an event. "We are improving individually and as a team," Sage said. "We have a lot of versatility." Overall, the Quakers' theme for spring break was development and improvement -- which is important to this year's relatively young team. The team was able to solidify under the leadership of senior co-captains Emily Hansel and Darah Ross, though the team's lineup is still in the tentative stage.
(03/05/98 10:00am)
The Penn women's lacrosse team -- hoping to improve upon their losing records of the past three years -- is returning a solid, albeit small, core of veterans for their 1998 season. The Quakers finished 5-7 overall and 2-4 in the Ivy League in 1997, good for fifth in the league. In light of the strength of Ivy teams on the national lacrosse scene -- four Ivy teams and eight of the Quakers' opponents in '97 were ranked in the top 20 -- Penn was better than its record indicated. This season's team, despite having strong senior leadership, is still one of the youngest group of Quakers in recent memory. The Red and Blue lost six players from last season, including three unexpectedly -- due to work and early graduation -- just before this season was to begin. "We're younger, but with a little more talent [than in years past]," Penn coach Anne Sage said. "It's a new team, with a lot of enthusiasm." Despite losing four of their top seven scorers, the Quakers still expect to put up big numbers. The team has two 1997 Second-Team All-Ivy selections in senior co-captains Darah Ross and Emily Hansel. Ross led the Quakers last season with 26 goals, while Hansel, who was recently voted a pre-season Honorable Mention All-American, scored 17 times from her defensive position. "Emily is an impact player," Sage said. "She's a very talented athlete and has great speed." Joining the two seniors on this year's team are three junior starters -- goalie Sue Back, defenseman Jenni Leisman and attacker Katy Miller. Both Back and Leisman started 11 of 12 games last year for the Quakers, with Leisman contributing three goals from the backfield and Back posting an 11.67 goals against average in the net. "The older girls have shown a lot of leadership already this season," Leisman said. "And we have some sophomores returning who played a lot last year." With 12 positions on the lacrosse field and only five upperclassmen, the success of this year's team will ultimately depend on the younger half of the squad. The Quakers have 11 sophomores, including six of whom are returning from last year's squad. This class is led by attacker Brooke Jenkins, who netted 19 goals last season as a freshman. Midfielders Lee Ann Sechovicz and Amy Padula each started eight games last year for Penn. Just as important, the Quakers have a solid recruiting class this year, with 10 freshmen competing with the 11 sophomores for starting positions. The first-year class includes attackers Cindy Quinn and Annie Henderson, as well as goalie Christy Stover. "We have a good freshman class," Sage said. "They're so coachable [and are] going to be developing rapidly." "The freshman have already stepped up," Leisman said. "After the first time out, [youth] won't be a problem." The team has been practicing outdoors for the past six weeks and heads to several unofficial tournaments over spring break. On March 7 and 8, the Quakers will be at William and Mary for a two-day tournament against area teams that will not count toward standings. After facing the likes of the U.S. and Welsh national teams, James Madison and Johns Hopkins in small scrimmages, the Quakers head to Hilton Head, S.C., for three days of practice and a scrimmage versus the University of South Carolina. "We're definitely ready," Sage said. "We just need to see the opposition on the field of play." The Quakers women's lacrosse starts its official season Saturday, March 21 at Yale, and faces Stanford in their first home meet the following day at Franklin Field. Last year's Quakers team won its first Ivy match of the year in overtime against Cornell, 15-14, but lost its final Ivy meet of the year to Yale, 12-10. In between, though, Penn was blown out in back-to-back games by Ivy co-champions Dartmouth, 16-6, and Princeton, 16-8. "All the Ivies should be ranked at one time or another this season," Sage said. "Anyone is capable of defeating anyone else on any day." This year, the Ivy League doesn't look any easier than years past. In this year's pre-season poll, Princeton and Dartmouth -- who the Quakers face back-to-back on the road late in April -- were ranked No. 8 and No. 9 nationally. The Red and Blue also face No. 2 Temple at home on April 3. Yale (12-5, 4-2 Ivies in '97), Penn's first opponent of '98, finished third in the league last season. Though the Elis lost their top scorer, they return Ivy Rookie of the Year Heather Bentley, who scored 35 goals in her freshman campaign. Elis senior captains Amanda Cox and Emily Groom combined for 39 goals, and junior goalie Alison Cole had only a 6.55 goals against average. League favorite Princeton, a perennial lacrosse powerhouse, returns 15-of-20 letter winners. Although the Tigers (7-7, 5-1 Ivies in '97) lost last year's Ivy League Player of the Year, they still feature senior attacker Melissa Curry, a pre-season second team All-American and junior attacker Cristi Samaras, a U.S. National Team member. Dartmouth (10-4, 5-1 Ivies in '97) lost three All-Americans, but still returns four of their five players who broke the 20-point barrier in '97. The Big Green are led by senior captains Julia Morrill (24 goals) and Jen Greene (28 assists). The team also features second-team All-Ivy goalie junior Sarah Carlson, who had an 8.36 goals against average last year. Due to the graduation of defensive starters, the Big Green have moved two of last year's starting midfielders to defense -- exposing a weakness on this year's team. Not to be forgotten are Brown (10-4, 4-2 Ivies in '97) and Harvard (5-8, 1-5 in Ivies in '97). The Bears handed Dartmouth its only league loss last season and return pre-season first-team All-American attacker Phoebe Koch. The Crimson lost three of their six most prolific scorers from '97, but do return senior attacker Honor McNaughton, who recorded 22 goals in last year's campaign. "I'm optimistic about this year in the league," Leisman said. "Last year we beat Harvard and were ranked 12th in the country. We were all excited." In contrast to the upper tier of the league, Cornell and Columbia appear to be the least threatening of the Ivy teams. The Big Red (5-9, 0-6 in Ivies in '97) is coming off of a winless Ivy campaign in '97; and last year was the first season the Lions (3-13, not counted in Ivies) ever fielded a varsity women's lacrosse team. Both New York teams should prove easy wins for the Quakers. Although young, Penn women's lacrosse is enthusiastic and expecting big things from this year's team.
(02/27/98 10:00am)
Olivia Leon followed fencing rather than her family legacy to Penn. Without the insistence of her high school friends, women's fencing senior captain Olivia Leon would probably have never picked up fencing and began her successful path through national tournaments and the Ivy League. "In my high school we were very encouraged to play a sport and I wasn't really good at any other sports. So I decided, why not?" Leon said. "I thought it looked interesting, but I didn't know much about it," Leon's mother commented. "But when Olivia took it up, it was almost as if she was designed for it." Leon's decision to fence additionally had the effect of making Penn one of her top college choices. Despite having two generations of Penn alumni in her family, if it wasn't for Olivia's attendance of a fencing camp held at Penn the summer before her senior year in high school, Leon would have probably never considered Penn a viable college choice. "From an early age I was persuaded that Penn was where I should go. So I sort of decided that it was where I really didn't want to go. But then summer camp changed everything," Leon said. Leon went to the one-week training camp, led by Penn fencing coach Dave Micahnik, and it had a great impact on the young fencer. "I liked the campus, and I liked the fencing program.? In sort of a round-about way, fencing was a reason I decided to come here," Leon said. As captain of one of Penn's most successful teams of the past two decades, Leon leads the Penn women fencers into their post-season competition this weekend. A leader by example, Leon earned second-team All-Ivy honors with a 12-8 Ivy record last year. A quick starter, as a freshman she was one of two Quakers fencers to represent Penn at the first-ever epee section at the NCAA tournament. Leon, an only child, was born and raised in New York City where she attended the all-girls Chapin School. After her soccer season ended in the eighth grade, at the urging of three close friends, Olivia went out for fencing despite having no personal or family history with the sport . Ironically, one of these close friends, Katy Lane, is now the captain of the Columbia University fencing team, which Penn lost to last weekend 19-13. The two have been good friends for 17 years, although Leon admits they, "weren't tight in kindergarten." During her junior year in high school, Olivia was persuaded by Lane to join her as a member of the New York Fencing Club. Incidentally, that club's coach, Boris Leiberman, also coached Penn freshman epees Kari Coley and Charles Hamann. Leiberman now coaches NYU fencing. Earlier this season, his three former pupils led both Quakers squads to victories over his teams. "He was standing on the opposite side, calling time-outs for my opponents," Leon said. "Kari and I were both very nervous." Leon hid it well, bringing in three wins in the Quakers 21-11 victory. Leon came to Penn at exactly the right time -- her freshman year was the first time women's epee was counted in college matches. That team won the Ivy title and Leon's season was topped with the honor of representing Penn at the NCAAs. "I got to see the [first] National Champion stand up on the podium, and even though it wasn't me, it was really nice," Leon said. Fast-forward to first semester junior year. Leon missed several individual competitions, including the Penn State Open, where she finished sixth this year. Why? Because she's studying abroad, taking classes in media arts and fencing in Royal Holloway at the University of London. "It was on the level of a club sport [there]," Leon said. "Everyone was there to have fun. The matches were laid back, and no one kept records." After her semester abroad, Leon stepped right back into the flow of things. She posted a 26-17 record in '96-'97, and earned second-team All-Ivy honors. This season, the captain improved to 37-26 overall, including 15-5 in the Ivies, as the Quakers ended up 10-7 (2-3 Ivy League). Last Saturday, Leon went 3-1 for the fifth time in the Ivies this year, as the Quakers won their last regular-season match, 21-11, over Cornell. "I had very mixed feelings," Leon said. "I was kind of sad. I'm going to miss it? but I was happy I won my last bout." As this year's captain, Leon has proven to be an effective leader. Elected last May at the annual fencing banquet, Leon has worked hard at her newfound leadership role. "It was nice to know the team respected me and thought enough of me to elect me captain," Leon said. "She's a complete captain, working with both the men and women's teams? and organizing all sorts of team activities," junior epee and good friend Meredith Galto noted. Leon does not, however, heed the model of an outgoing and vocal captain. Instead, she is seen by all as leading through a caring, quiet and concerned personality. "Olivia is one of the least threatening people I know, ? but people who don't know her [style] end up hitting themselves after they lose the bout," Micahnik said. Still, through all her time spent fencing, Leon has been able to keep her priorities in perspective. This past fall, when asked for assistance by Penn foil and Olympic team member Cliff Bayer, Leon agreed to help his fraternity, Zeta Beta Tau, in one of their programs with area youth. Bayer and Leon put on a demonstration for more than 40 6- to 9-year old children at the West Philadelphia YMCA. The two taught the children and then staged a short match, stopping after each point to explain movements and technique. "I was happy to help," Leon said, "I knew it meant a lot to Cliff? and it was fun to see the kids' faces when we were interacting." At the Chapin School, Leon travelled across the city to tutor children in reading at a public elementary school. She also dedicated time, during the 10th and 12th grades, to her church, St. James, running their weekly acolyte, or processional program, and coordinating. Leon will graduate this spring with a degree in communications -- a trait that is an important aspect to any team sport, and one that she has displayed in in all she has done. Leon gained an added insight into this area via a job she held four years ago as a link between the students and the University in the Admissions Office. "I really enjoy what I do, working with the students and talking with them," she said. Leon has been successful in all that she has done and has left a good impression on those around her. Earlier this month she was one of four fencers honored at an awards ceremony for four-year female varsity athletes. Started a few years ago, this event recognizes those female athletes who have dedicated their time and energy to the University. Considering that she never planned to fence or even attend Penn, Leon has certainly dedicated a lot to the University and to the fencing team.
(02/26/98 10:00am)
Olivia Leon followed fencing rather than her family legacy to Penn. Without the insistence of her high school friends, women's fencing senior captain Olivia Leon would probably have never picked up fencing and began her successful path through national tournaments and the Ivy League. "In my high school we were very encouraged to play a sport and I wasn't really good at any other sports. So I decided, why not?" Leon said. "I thought it looked interesting, but I didn't know much about it," Leon's mother commented. "But when Olivia took it up, it was almost as if she was designed for it." Leon's decision to fence additionally had the effect of making Penn one of her top college choices. Despite having two generations of Penn alumni in her family, if it wasn't for Olivia's attendance of a fencing camp held at Penn the summer before her senior year in high school, Leon would have probably never considered Penn a viable college choice. "From an early age I was persuaded that Penn was where I should go. So I sort of decided that it was where I really didn't want to go. But then summer camp changed everything," Leon said. Leon went to the one-week training camp, led by Penn fencing coach Dave Micahnik, and it had a great impact on the young fencer. "I liked the campus, and I liked the fencing program.? In sort of a round-about way, fencing was a reason I decided to come here," Leon said. As captain of one of Penn's most successful teams of the past two decades, Leon leads the Penn women fencers into their post-season competition this weekend. A leader by example, Leon earned second-team All-Ivy honors with a 12-8 Ivy record last year. A quick starter, as a freshman she was one of two Quakers fencers to represent Penn at the first-ever epee section at the NCAA tournament. Leon, an only child, was born and raised in New York City where she attended the all-girls Chapin School. After her soccer season ended in the eighth grade, at the urging of three close friends, Olivia went out for fencing despite having no personal or family history with the sport . Ironically, one of these close friends, Katy Lane, is now the captain of the Columbia University fencing team, which Penn lost to last weekend 19-13. The two have been good friends for 17 years, although Leon admits they, "weren't tight in kindergarten." During her junior year in high school, Olivia was persuaded by Lane to join her as a member of the New York Fencing Club. Incidentally, that club's coach, Boris Leiberman, also coached Penn freshman epees Kari Coley and Charles Hamann. Leiberman now coaches NYU fencing. Earlier this season, his three former pupils led both Quakers squads to victories over his teams. "He was standing on the opposite side, calling time-outs for my opponents," Leon said. "Kari and I were both very nervous." Leon hid it well, bringing in three wins in the Quakers 21-11 victory. Leon came to Penn at exactly the right time -- her freshman year was the first time women's epee was counted in college matches. That team won the Ivy title and Leon's season was topped with the honor of representing Penn at the NCAAs. "I got to see the [first] National Champion stand up on the podium, and even though it wasn't me, it was really nice," Leon said. Fast-forward to first semester junior year. Leon missed several individual competitions, including the Penn State Open, where she finished sixth this year. Why? Because she's studying abroad, taking classes in media arts and fencing in Royal Holloway at the University of London. "It was on the level of a club sport [there]," Leon said. "Everyone was there to have fun. The matches were laid back, and no one kept records." After her semester abroad, Leon stepped right back into the flow of things. She posted a 26-17 record in '96-'97, and earned second-team All-Ivy honors. This season, the captain improved to 37-26 overall, including 15-5 in the Ivies, as the Quakers ended up 10-7 (2-3 Ivy League). Last Saturday, Leon went 3-1 for the fifth time in the Ivies this year, as the Quakers won their last regular-season match, 21-11, over Cornell. "I had very mixed feelings," Leon said. "I was kind of sad. I'm going to miss it? but I was happy I won my last bout." As this year's captain, Leon has proven to be an effective leader. Elected last May at the annual fencing banquet, Leon has worked hard at her newfound leadership role. "It was nice to know the team respected me and thought enough of me to elect me captain," Leon said. "She's a complete captain, working with both the men and women's teams? and organizing all sorts of team activities," junior epee and good friend Meredith Galto noted. Leon does not, however, heed the model of an outgoing and vocal captain. Instead, she is seen by all as leading through a caring, quiet and concerned personality. "Olivia is one of the least threatening people I know, ? but people who don't know her [style] end up hitting themselves after they lose the bout," Micahnik said. Still, through all her time spent fencing, Leon has been able to keep her priorities in perspective. This past fall, when asked for assistance by Penn foil and Olympic team member Cliff Bayer, Leon agreed to help his fraternity, Zeta Beta Tau, in one of their programs with area youth. Bayer and Leon put on a demonstration for more than 40 6- to 9-year old children at the West Philadelphia YMCA. The two taught the children and then staged a short match, stopping after each point to explain movements and technique. "I was happy to help," Leon said, "I knew it meant a lot to Cliff? and it was fun to see the kids' faces when we were interacting." At the Chapin School, Leon travelled across the city to tutor children in reading at a public elementary school. She also dedicated time, during the 10th and 12th grades, to her church, St. James, running their weekly acolyte, or processional program, and coordinating. Leon will graduate this spring with a degree in communications -- a trait that is an important aspect to any team sport, and one that she has displayed in in all she has done. Leon gained an added insight into this area via a job she held four years ago as a link between the students and the University in the Admissions Office. "I really enjoy what I do, working with the students and talking with them," she said. Leon has been successful in all that she has done and has left a good impression on those around her. Earlier this month she was one of four fencers honored at an awards ceremony for four-year female varsity athletes. Started a few years ago, this event recognizes those female athletes who have dedicated their time and energy to the University. Considering that she never planned to fence or even attend Penn, Leon has certainly dedicated a lot to the University and to the fencing team.
(02/24/98 10:00am)
The Penn women's fencing team had its season come to a disappointing end this past Saturday at Columbia's University gym. Facing three strong teams, including the defending national champion Penn State, the Quakers could only leave New York with a single victory. The Quakers (10-7, 2-3 Ivy League) managed to split their two Ivy matches of the day -- losing to Columbia in the morning, 19-13, but defeating Cornell in the afternoon, 21-11. The Quakers also faced Penn State in this quad-meet, and their cross-state rivals dominated 28-4. The Red and Blue went into the weekend confident coming off a 24-8 Ivy victory over Harvard at home two weeks ago. Unfortunately for the Quakers, the day got off to a bad start, even before competition began. Penn was selected to first face Penn State -- a team that epitomizes domination, having lost just five times this decade. And the team knew it was in for a tough match. The final score, 28-4, easily indicated that the Quakers never knew what hit them. "We probably weren't going to win," Penn coach Dave Micahnik said, "But it should have been closer. [The score] was a bit much." Penn was dominated overall by the Nittany Lions, with both foil and epee losing 14-2. Not a single Quaker won multiple bouts, as the defending national champions improved to 17-1 on the year. "We knew going in they were a powerhouse," freshman epee Kari Coley said. After this inauspicious start to the meet, the Quakers faced the home team, Columbia, for an important Ivy match. The Lions' foil did not give the Quakers a chance, dominating 13-3. The Lions were able to win the foil by this large margin even without the services of their No. 1 -- Columbia freshman and U.S. National Team member Erinn Smart -- who was competing overseas. The Quakers' epee squad was able to post a victory on its side of the meet, 10-6, but it was not enough to offset the extremely strong efforts of the Lions foil. Penn senior captain Olivia Leon, junior Meredith Galto and Coley all went 3-1 for the epee in its victory. "I thought winning the epee would be fine, but [after the loss by the foil] it proved not to be enough," Micahnik said. For their final match of the day, Cornell had expected to defeat a less-experienced Quakers' team. But these expectations proved deceptive. Penn repeated its decisive victory of a year before, winning 21-11. Once again, the Quakers' epee squad did well, with Coley winning all four of her bouts and Leon winning three. Senior epee Emmy Cho, in her final match, won two of three. "It was the last match, so we were pretty pumped up," Coley said. "We had fenced well against Columbia, so it was a gradual thing." The Quakers' foil squad was able to bounce back from their two earlier big losses and post a 9-7 win. Junior Agnieszka Gromulska posted three wins for the Quakers. Big Red freshman Ellyn Rajfer swept the Quakers, though, improving her season record to 39-16. "The matches were winnable if we were at our top form," Micahnik said of the quad-meet. "I'm not altogether satisfied, but? the other teams were good." Facing two tough teams -- Penn St. and Columbia -- back to back can be disheartening at best; but even so, the team just didn't seem to have it this weekend. True, the Quakers attained the same Ivy League record as a year ago and improved their overall number wins, but the Quakers -- especially the seniors -- still would have loved to have left Columbia last Saturday with more than one victory.
(02/19/98 10:00am)
the Penn women's fencing team travels to Columbia to face Penn State, Cornell and the host Lions Saturday. The Penn women's fencing team guaranteed itself a winning record for the 1997-98 season with a two-match sweep two weekends ago, but the team still wants to end the year in style in its final meet this Saturday. Penn will travel to Columbia's University Gym to face the Lions, Cornell and Penn State in a quad-meet beginning at 11 a.m. Penn (9-5, 1-2 Ivy League) starts its day off against Columbia, which is returning a very strong team. Lions senior captain Katherine Lane, a two-time All-American and three-time All-Ivy selection, will lead the foil contingent into the match on their home-strip. The deep Lions foil squad features two other All-Ivy selections, as well as freshman Erinn Smart, who, despite just turning 18, has been a member of the U.S. National Team for over a year. "That they added Erinn Smart is scary," Penn senior foil Cynthia Kwan said. Due to Columbia's strength in the foil, the Quakers must garner points against Columbia's less experienced epee squad if they are to win. Nevertheless, Lions freshman Melinda Mellman, who finished 8th in the Cadet section of the Junior Olympics in 1996, is one to watch out for. "If our epee fences as well as they did against Yale, and we're even with the foil, we can win," coach Dave Micahnik said. "I'd be very pleased if we beat them, but not shocked." The road then becomes a little easier for the Quakers as they face Cornell in the early afternoon. Though this is still a significant Ivy match, it will be the easiest of the day. The Big Red (6-7, 0-3) lost 22-10 earlier this year to a Harvard team that the Quakers beat up on, 24-8, two weeks ago. The Big Red, who have lost 19 of the 20 meetings ever between the two schools, including last year's match, 24-8, return six starters. Senior and three-time letter-winner Julia Breitwieser leads a foil team that includes freshman Ellyn Rajfer, who has a 35-16 record this year. Senior Rebecca Watson heads the epee contingent. The day gets a great deal tougher for the Quakers in their last match, when they face an excellent Penn State team. The Nittany Lions, who demolished the Quakers 26-6 last year, has two equally strong squads, with their epee being slightly better than their foil in what Micahnik termed a "toss-up." The Nittany Lions (12-1) have lost only five regular season matches this decade -- they are the defending National Champions. Their lone loss this year was to undefeated Stanford 18-14, and only two teams have managed more than seven points against them. "It shows that they are not unbeatable," sophomore foil Amy Hozer noted. "They should be good matches." The Nittany Lions are led by senior captain foil Claire Jackson. Their epee features two excellent fencers in sophomore Alexandra Korfanty and freshman Charlotte Walker. The latter hails from Australia, and is ranked among the top 10 in the world. Although Micahnik and senior captain Olivia Leon described the Nittany Lions as a "powerhouse", Micahnik added, "We can fence with them." Coming off of an uplifting sweep of Harvard and St. John's on the 7th of February, the team had its first off-week in a month last weekend. This does not appear to have affected the Quakers negatively, though, as team members used this off-time to train and recuperate. Kwan, who was forced out of the loss to Temple three weeks ago with a wrist injury, will be ready to go. "It's good to come to a break [in the season] because of our injuries," Kwan said. The Quaker fencers know they will all need to be ready to go from the outset if they are to come out of this final meet with their first winning Ivy record in two years.
(02/18/98 10:00am)
There were 797 participants, men and women, in the meet in Oakland last weekend. The Junior Olympics proved to be a tougher test than expected for members of the Penn men's fencing team last weekend. Four Quakers were among the 797 men and women who competed in this massive event held last Friday through Monday in Oakland, Calif. Penn freshmen Michael Golia, Charles Hamann and David Cohen fenced in the sabre, epee and foil divisions respectively, while sophomore David Liu competed in both foil and sabre. All four were in the under-20 sections, with foil and sabre fencing Sunday and epee Monday. Two members of the women's team, freshman epee Kari Coley and sophomore foil Margo Katz, qualified to participate but did not attend. Cohen, a strong addition to this year's foil team with an 18-3 record, was the Quaker with probably the best chance of putting up a strong showing. Late in the day, however, he reinjured the index finger on his right hand and wound up in 10th place. After going 5-1 in the preliminary seeding pool and 5-1 in his first six bouts in the double-elimination competitive bracket, Cohen saw his day come to the end with a 15-8 pain-riddled loss. "I lost to the two guys who were in the final," Cohen said laughingly. Cohen will not be able to fence until further examination shows he is healthy, which is a blow for the Quakers as they prepare to face Columbia and Penn State this weekend. "I would've expected some better results across the board," coach Dave Micahnik said. "David [Cohen] should have been in the final." Liu, who was on the foil squad last year before switching to this year's relatively undermanned sabre squad, did not advance as far as Cohen. Liu was eliminated going into the round of 32 for sabre and ended in a range between 25th and 32nd place for foil. Golia, who went 6-0 in the Quakers' victories over Harvard and St. John's two weeks ago, finished in 9th to 12th place. Micahnik felt, though, that he could have placed in the top eight. Hamann did not do exceedingly well in the preliminary pool, finishing only four and two. "I took him aside and told him he had to learn to construct the bout," Micahnik said. After speaking with the coach, Hamann won his last two preliminary bouts. Results of his later bouts were not available. Although the four Quakers did not return with any medals or spaces on the National Team, the Junior Olympics did allow them some valuable competition during a rare off-week in the hectic Quaker schedule.
