Search Results
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
(11/19/93 10:00am)
Ponce DeLeon would be smiling in his grave. The Penn men's swimming team found the fountain of youth during the off-season as it added 14 freshman to its squad. As the Quakers prepare for the upcoming season, these freshman will be key for the Quakers to rebound from last season's disappointing 3-10 record. "We have one of the best recruiting classes in the league," Penn assistant coach Mike Schnur said. "They all come from good swimming backgrounds." Leading the class of Quaker freshmen is the highly recruited Jeff Brown. Brown was the Texas state champion in the 500-yard freestyle and also ranked fourth in the country for high schoolers in that event. In that event he posted the outstanding time of 4 minutes, 27 seconds. Brown and the rest of the Quaker freshmen will be complemented by the leadership of the 16 returning players – especially the seniors – who comprise the rest of the 30-member team. "We have an excellent senior class," Schnur said. "We expect them to provide a superior example in practice to the younger guys. They will carry their team through tough times in the meets because they have all been there before." The player who the team is heavily leaning on to provide this leadership is senior Rob Morris. Morris, the team's top sprinter, has accomplished much in his time at Penn, becoming an Eastern Finalist each year. In addition, he has qualified for the U.S. Senior Nationals. Schnur calls Morris "one of the best swimmers of the league." In addition to Morris, junior Jim McGinnis – the team's top backstroker – and sophomore Geoff Munger are counted on to reverse last year's record. Munger will give this year's large crop of freshman something to shoot for as he won the team's Most Valuable Freshman Award last season. Schnur is optimistic that the infusion of youth with veteran guile will lead to a more successful season. "I think we'll do better this year," Schnur said. "Our guys won't take a backseat to anybody." In order to improve, the Quakers will have to swim past several obstacles. Initially, they will have to improve in league competition. Penn was knocked around in the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League last year (the eight Ivy League teams with Army and Navy), finishing with a 1-8 record. Moreover, the Quakers will have to overcome the loss of last year's best swimmer, Steve Kuster. Kuster, who many consider to be the best swimmer Penn has ever had, single-handedly catapulted the Penn squad to 33rd best in the country due to his performance in the NCAAs. However, the obstacle that the Quakers are concentrating most on is today's meet against Ivy foes Yale and Cornell. The meet, which takes place at Yale, will be Penn's first tri-meet in its history. Cornell and Yale currently ride two-meet winning streaks against Penn. However, before this recent dry spell, the Quakers dominated these series. Penn hopes to end these mini-slides and return to its former winning ways. The Elis are probably the team to beat in the league. They went 13-1 last year and feature backstroke specialist Shawn Tesoro. The Big Red come into today's meet with slightly less-impressive credentials. Cornell posted a 6-4 record last year, but it does have an impressive freestyler in Shawn Maher. "It will be nice to try to get to off the short end [of the score]," Schnur said. "I think Yale may be a little too deep. We're really concentrating on Cornell." However, the Quakers are going to come full force against all their opponents this season. "There aren't any teams we look past," Schnur said. "[We'll give] a heck of a battle."
(11/11/93 10:00am)
The four-year old beat up on the three-year old. In the battle of two very young women's soccer programs, Delaware (10-4-1) showed no tri-state hospitality as it blanked the visiting Penn squad (3-8-1) by a 2-0 score. The three-year old Quaker program became reinfected with a problem that has plagued it throughout its history – a lack of offense – as Penn was shut out for the second game in a row and the sixth time this season. The game was especially frustrating for the team's veterans, as they were seeking retribution for last year's agonizing 1-0 loss to the Blue Hens. However, Penn added to its frustration with yesterday's loss, a game many Quakers felt that they was not emotionally ready for. "We were definitely not mentally ready for the game," freshman forward Yuka Morita said. "We just didn't play the way we should have played." The turning point of the game came 13 minutes, 55 seconds into the first half when Delaware star Kristy Hendrickson scored her team-leading ninth goal of the season from 12 yards out. Hendrickson also leads the Blue Hens in points with 27. Fellow Hens Kelly Butler and Beth Hatt received the assists. The Quakers closed out the first half only down 1-0, but the second half resulted in more of the same for Penn as it continued to struggle on offense – only managing three shots on goal for the entire game. As the game was in its final minutes, Nicole Shea iced it for Delaware with the Blue Hens' second score. Hatt received her second assist for the game along with a place in the Blue Hen record books. She set a new standard for Delaware freshmen, as she recorded her 21st point of the season. Adding to Penn's disappointments was the fact that the Quakers came into Delaware on a mini-roll. They were 2-1 in their last three games with a only narrow loss (1-0) to Brown in Penn's last game. However yesterday's game, sandwiched between Ivy League opponents Brown and Yale, seemed ripe for a Quaker letdown. However the team showed no indication that they were going to exhibit a lack of desire before the game. According to Penn coach Suzette Wolf, the Quakers were on an emotional high from their strong game against Brown and looked sharp in practice. However, Wolf also felt that the team lacked intensity. "It was a definite off game for us," Wolf said. "We were a little bit slow [and] fatigued." Several Quakers mentioned that if they played yesterday like they did against Brown, they would have beaten Delaware. "[The game] shows we have to be hungry for the ball if we want to win," freshman midfielder Lisa Paster said. Another lesson to learn in the growing process.
(10/22/93 9:00am)
Freshman defender Heather Herson remembers watching perennial Ivy powerhouse Brown (3-1 Ivy League, 5-6 overall) as a kid when the Bears came to her home state Connecticut to play the state's top teams. She will have a chance to battle against Brown herself tomorrow as the Penn women's soccer team (0-4, 3-6-1) hosts the Bears at Franklin Field (6 p.m.). The Quakers, who are still seeking their first Ivy League win after 18 consecutive losses, feel that tomorrow's game might be their best shot to snatch an Ivy League victory this season. The upset-minded Quakers will experience many positive firsts against Brown. It is the first time in the Quaker's brief three-year history that Penn is coming into a game with a winning streak (two consecutive wins against West Chester and Lafayette). Transporting that momentum and winning attitude into tomorrow's game will be key. "[We have to] keep playing the way we have been playing," freshman midfielder Lisa Paster said. "We have to go into the game with confidence and expect to win. It is a prime time to upset Brown." Penn, at the very least, believes it will be at its emotional peak for the game. The Quakers definitely feel there will be a carryover effect from the last two games. "I think [the last two games] will definitely help a lot," sophomore midfielder Kelly Nolan said. "Our spirits are really high." Although the Quakers still have a home game against co-Ivy cellar dweller Princeton (0-4, 2-9) in the season finale, the streaking Quakers feel that this game might be their best chance to pull out an Ivy win due to the teams current winning ways. "If we're ever going to win an Ivy League game, it's this one," Penn coach Suzette Wolf said. Another positive first for the Quakers in tomorrow's game against the Bears, which will even add to the Quaker's fiestiness, will be a rocking home field advantage of family and friends. Parents weekend coincides with the game and the two shall meet at Franklin Field. "I hope it helps," Wolf said. "[It should] make everyone really excited and put spirit in the game." Wolf feels that a major key for the game is for her team to remain "psyched for 90 minutes of Division I soccer." All the emotion in tomorrow's game makes her optimistic. The game will also give curious parents a chance to watch their offspring in action. Herson says that this will make the game exciting. "A lot of parents are tired of just hearing about our team," Herson said. "A lot of friends are coming [also]." The only thing that could wreck this joyous homecoming party is Brown, a team that bombasted Penn 6-0 last year. The Bears, who currently are third in the Ivies, are lead by juniors Jessica Greaux and Mia Dammen. Wolf describes the Bears as a physical team that is strong in all areas. Brown's only weakness might be its play on artificial turf, an advantage Penn will try to capitalize on tomorrow. However, Wolf says, this will cause the Bears not to come into the game with overconfidence. Wolf feels that the keys for a Quaker victory are strong games from senior goaltender Debbie Goldklang and by freshman defenders Anne Davies and Jill Brown. In addition, offensive catalyst Yuka Morita will have to continue the hot streak that she is on. Penn needs to combine emotion with execution. If successful, another first might happen.
(10/08/93 9:00am)
I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. The perpetually optimistic Penn's women's soccer team (0-2 Ivy League, 1-4-1 overall) has another chance to get over the mountain and capture its first Ivy victory in its three-year history. Tomorrow the Quakers will have to accomplish this task up north against a good, but not great Harvard team (1-1, 2-4-1). As usual, the Quakers have their reasons to feel they can pull this one out. Initially, the Quakers feel that they will be emotionally ready for this game. After the great win over Lehigh (5-2 last Thursday), Penn felt it suffered a case of non-conference overconfidence. Temple cured Penn of this syndrome as the previously winless Owls outhustled and outmuscled the Quakers to a 3-1 victory. The Quakers will no longer take anything for granted. "The Temple game slapped us in the face," freshman midfielder Anne Davies said. "We should have won. We're definitely up for Harvard." The Owls' extremely physical style of play should help the Quakers when they battle the Crimson. Harvard, too, employs a physical style. "We have to play very hard," sophomore forward Amaryllis Seabrooks said. "[Harvard] is very physical. We learned our lesson against Temple." "Remember the Temple Game" seemed to be a rallying cry in yesterday's practice. "Now I know what it's like to get beat up on the field," senior captain goalkeeper Debbie Goldklang said. "Maybe we can do that to Harvard." A second confidence-builder for Penn is that the Crimson are not exactly reigning World Cup champions, as shown by their 2-4-1 record. "I don't find them all that strong," Penn coach Suzette Wolf said. "Last year we lost 2-0, but we were much weaker. We don't have those weak spots [anymore]. It should be a pretty good game." Last year's narrow 2-0 loss to Harvard was one of the Quakers' best efforts to date against an Ivy League opponent. The game was even closer than the score would suggest until the last 10 minutes. Another close game would not be surprising when these two teams meet. Harvard has many similarities to Penn. Both teams' greatest challenge are their offenses. A low-scoring game is probably on the horizon. According to Wolf, the keys to Penn's offense will be the play of freshman forward Yuka Morita and sophomore midfielder Kelly Nolan. Nolan was the bright spot in the Temple game as she scored the Quakers' lone goal. Wolf described Nolan's overall game as "outstanding." If the Quakers are going to win tomorrow, the freshmen and sophomores who dominate the team will have to step up – a true challenge for players who as Wolf describes were forced to become "Division I players overnight." Penn, thanks in large part to that five-goal effort against Lehigh, leads Harvard eight to four in goals scored so far this season. Overall, Harvard has been outscored 13-4 this year, while Penn has done only slightly better (16-8). In picking apart Harvard's team, Wolf feels the Crimson's strength is not its offense, but its defense. Another similarity between the the two teams is the lack of star power. Neither team has that standout player who can dominate a game single-handedly. This could serve as a refreshing break for the Quakers who have already had to face the likes of Bucknell's Lisa Gibbons, Villanova's Lori Penny, and Temple's Yanna Love. "[Harvard's] weakness is that they really don't have any solid players," Goldklang said. "They're all beatable. If we come out with the way we know we can come out, then they're ours." "I expect to beat them," Wolf said. The engine is getting charged up and heading towards Cambridge.
(10/06/93 9:00am)
Momentum ran into a brick wall yesterday and Temple made it hurt. The Owls, not one to shy away from physical play, outpaced the Penn women's soccer team to a 3-1 victory at Temple Stadium for their first win of the season. Penn (1-4-1), coming off one of the best wins in its 3-year history (a 5-2 decision over Lehigh last Thursday), appeared to come into the game with more momentum than the winless Owls. However, appearances can be deceiving, as Temple (1-6-2) used its two biggest advantages in speed and strength to snare the victory away from the Quakers. "[Temple] was so fast and physically strong," Penn coach Suzette Wolf said. "We kept up with them as long as we could." Indeed, the game was a see-saw battle until the end. After Temple scored a first-half goal, the Quakers evened the score in the second half on the strength of the leg of sophomore midfielder Kelly Nolan. Nolan scored her goal on a direct kick from about 20 yards out. Nolan said that she was helped by Temple's inability to have their wall set. However, Penn soon ran out of breath keeping up with the physically demanding Owls. Temple was able to finish off the pesky Quakers with the final two goals. "[We lost] because we couldn't play the pace they were playing," Wolf said. "A lot of young players [were] set back by [Temple's style of play.]" Wolf felt that the Owls "crossed the line" from playing tough to playing dirty. However, Penn players denied that they were intimidated by Temple. "They're a bunch of hackers," freshman forward Yuka Morita said. "We all have played with people like that. They go for your ankles. It frustrates and everything. [But] we [knew what] to expect." The Quakers did not stay on the ropes and take the Owls' shots quietly. Instead, Penn tried to give as good as it got. "When someone pushes, we could push right back," Morita said. The coach echoed her sentiments. "We were giving it right back," Wolf said. Temple's style of physical play is a complete contrast to Penn's ball-control style which relies on teamwork and passing. The Owls, which Wolf describes as a very individual-oriented squad, dictated the style of play in this game and that put the Quakers constantly on the defensive. Temple outshot Penn by a commanding 28 to 6 margin. "[This game was] a good learning experience," Wolf said. "Division I soccer is a very physical game.?[We have to] adjust to different styles of play." One advantage that seemed to be on Penn's side was momentum. However, many Quakers felt desire was lacking. "I think we need to realize desire is really important," freshman defender Heather Herson said. "Temple just wanted the game more than we did."
(09/27/93 9:00am)
Well, it wasn't coaching strategy. Regardless of what look the Penn's women soccer team threw at Dartmouth Sunday, the Big Green successfully adapted for a convincing 4-0 win over the Quakers at Franklin Field. The Quakers (0-2 Ivy League, 0-3-1 overall) used very different strategies in the two halves against Dartmouth (1-0, 2-1) . However, despite Penn's well-thought plans, Dartmouth still blitzed the Quakers with the same number of goals (2) in each half. In the first half, the Quakers employed an unorthodox 5-4-1 alignment (5 defenders, 4 midfielders, 1 forward) in order to frustrate the Big Green's unrelenting attack. "[We used this strategy to] keep the score down," Penn coach Suzette Wolf said. "We knew what they had. We wanted to be able to play with them the second half." Perhaps Wolf was thinking about Penn's last two meetings with Dartmouth where the Quakers were overplayed by a combined score of 11-0. Whatever the reason, the first-half strategy seemed to have backfired when Dartmouth scored a goal early in the game against what looked like an endless supply of Quaker defenders. In fact, almost the entire first half was played in the Quakers' end of the field. However, after the early goal, the Quakers looked like they were going to escape into halftime with just a 1-0 deficit thanks in large part to the solid goaltending of senior captain and goalkeeper Debbie Goldklang (21 saves). But Dartmouth, beginning to look frustrated by Penn's strategy, refused to settle for the narrow lead and tacked on another goal as the half was ending. Yet, despite the score, the Quakers appeared to be happy with the effectiveness of the first-half strategy. " [In the] first half we packed it in," Goldklang said. "[We] played as a team." Even though the Quakers instituted a defensive strategy for the first half, they did not give up all hope of scoring. Penn was aiming to score on a break-away given the Big Green's drawn in defense. Sophomore forward Amaryllis Seabrooks, who did not play due to injury, defined the game plan for the first half as "keep on defense, wait for a break." The plan for the second half was for the well-rested Quakers to turn Dartmouth frustration into surprise as Penn went with the conventional 4-3-3 alignment. The alignment did rejuvenate the Quaker offense and led to an occasional scoring opportunity. Penn's best scoring opportunity was engineered by the quick feet of freshman forward Yuka Morita. Morita, who seemed to have a fan club among the surprisingly pro-Dartmouth crowd, raced passed her defender and subsequently made a move past the goalkeeper. However, from a tough angle, she missed an open net by pounding the ball against the post. On the rebound, sophomore forward Christy Mach also had a chance, but she too missed, kicking the ball over the net. "Yuka's a tough kid," Wolf said. "[She has] quick feet – Lots of fire." Fire was definitely needed if the Quakers had any chance of upsetting the very talented Dartmouth team. A team that features the heavily recruited Melissa McBean and last week's Ivy League Rookie of the Week in the form of Jenna Kurowski. Kurowski got a good start for this week's honor as she scored the third goal against the Quakers. Despite the loss, Wolf felt her squad "played very well" and feels she instituted the right plan. The best laid plans...sometimes go awry.
(09/21/93 9:00am)
The beauty of sport is often its unpredictability. Nobody ever thought senior captain and goalkeeper Debbie Goldklang would miss a start. Throughout her career, she had always played through pain. "Deb always played with a broken finger or open hand," Penn coach Suzette Wolf said. "[Her hands] have been pounded." However, a 102-degree fever may accomplish what physical injuries could not and sideline her for tonight's game at Bucknell. Even though Goldklang says she will play sick, the task of goalkeeper for the Quakers (0-2) will, in all likelihood, fall on the shoulders of freshman Erin Heffernan. "I'm a little nervous, but also excited," Heffernan said. "You just hope you can prove yourself." Unfortunately for Heffernan, she faces a strong offensive team in the form of the Bison (5-1). Bucknell features perhaps the "Michael Jordan" of women's soccer world in junior forward Lisa Gibbons. She leads all of Division I in both goals scored (14) and in points (30). "She's a speed demon," Wolf said. "[The key to the game is to] close down Lisa Gibbons. If you close down her, you close down Bucknell." Gibbons single-handedly defeated Penn two years ago in a Bison stampede. But the Quakers settled the score last year with a 1-0 win. The victory was one of the highlights of last season. The Quakers, however, can not count on winning games consistently by scoring one goal. The offense, which plagued them last year (9 goals in 15 games) has continued to struggle in the Quakers' two losses this year (only one goal overall). "We don't have any goal scorers," Wolf said. "No one with the desire to crash the net. Up front we're laid back." The team also senses the urgency to rejuvenate the offense. "We only had one shot on goal [against Cornell]," said sophomore defender Meg Kinney, who scored two of Penn's nine goals last season. "We need more shots on goal." Despite the contrasting records of the two teams, the Quakers have reason to be optimistic for the game. By winning last year's contest, the Quakers gained confidence for this game. In addition, the records of the two teams might be a bit misleading. The Quakers play in the tough Ivy League, while the Bison play in the weaker Patriot League. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the Quakers are extremely hungry for their first win of the season. "We're getting psyched," Kinney said. "[This game will be the] start of a winning season." Wolf likes her team's chances against Bucknell. If successful, this game could serve as a confidence booster going into Sunday's home game against Ivy power Dartmouth. "Not to take anything away from [Bucknell]," Wolf said. "But the game could go either way. It's an evenly matched game." If the game does hold true to form to last year and is decided by one goal , the goaltending of Heffernan could be the difference. The game will be a tremendous test to see if she, along with the other six starting freshmen, can hold their composure. "When I get into the game, I block out everything else out," Heffernan said. "I just concentrate on the game."
(09/17/93 9:00am)
Settle it on the field. May the best man win. The better team will come out on top. These cliches are universally believed by idealistic sports fans all over the world...who forget about referees. The Penn's women's soccer team (0-1) will have the daunting task of putting Wednesday's controversial 2-1 loss to Villanova behind it when it battles Cornell (1-1) today for the Quaker's home opener. The play in question was a penalty kick that proved decisive in the 2-1 loss. The Quakers, however angered by the call, refused to scapegoat the game on the referees. "That was the most ridiculous call," senior captain and goalkeeper Debbie Goldklang said. "But I'm not making an excuse." "It wasn't a foul," Penn coach Suzette Wolf said. "But I don't blame the game on the ref." The high-scoring Big Red of Cornell are not going to care that Penn suffered a tough loss when they battle today at 7:30 on Franklin Field. Hence, the Quakers were wise to dwell on the positive from Wednesday's game. In particular, that they were able to come back from a 1-0 deficit. "We [now] have more confidence," Goldklang said. "We dominated the second half. We were able to come back." "[It was a] great game," Wolf said. "Last year, I was on the edge of my seat hoping [Villanova] wouldn't score a goal. [Wednesday], I was on the edge of my seat hoping that we would score a goal." The Quakers will have to muster all the momentum they can from Wednesday's second half if they're going to have a chance against the powerful Cornell team – a team Wolf places among the top three in the Ivy Leagues. Cornell seems to have an affinity for .500 records as they went 7-7-2 last year (4-2-1 in the Ivy League, placing third) and now currently hold a 1-1 record. Like the Quakers, the Big Red are also coming off a tough loss. After destroying St. Bonaventure 5-0, Cornell was edged by Colgate by the familiar score of 2-1. Cornell actually outshot Colgate by a 2-1 ratio. This exemplifies the notion that, in soccer, a decided underdog like Penn can win if it takes advantage of its scoring opportunities. Maybe that's why Thursday's practice had a particular emphasis on shooting. "We haven't been shooting accurately," Wolf said. "Over and wide...we have to work on more direct shooting." Penn will need to capitalize on its scoring opportunities in order to stay with Cornell. The Big Red squad coached by Randy May features excellent goaltending, an explosive offense, and last year's Ivy League Rookie of the Year, Lori Petti. Goldklang calls her simply, "a girl to look for." Last year, Penn got shellacked by Cornell (5-0) and knocked around the Ivy League in general (0-7). But, hey, this is a new year. One factor in Penn's advantage is the home field. "I think it [playing on astroturf] will be to our advantage," assistant coach Dave Masterson said. "[Cornell] plays on grass." Sophomore defender Meg Kinney agreed that the home field advantage would hold true to its name. "[The home field] is going to be crucial. We are all going to be really pumped." May the best team win.
