W. Soccer bounces back and into second place in the Ivies

The members of the Penn women's soccer team didn't hang their heads for long following a disappointing 1-1 tie with Monmouth last Wednesday.

Instead, they showed the resolve of a team destined for the posteason by blanking Brown (3-8-1, 0-4-1 Ivy League), 3-0, in Providence, R.I., on Saturday.

"It was important for us to bounce back from [the Monmouth tie] and prove that that isn't our level of play," Penn goalkeeper Vanessa Scotto said.

The usual suspects contributed to Penn's (11-1-2, 4-1 Ivy) victory.

Freshman Rachelle Snyder netted the Quakers' first goal of the game at the 13:33 mark. Fellow freshmen Lauren Bome and Devon Sibole assisted on the score.

Just after halftime, Snyder also picked up an assist on a corner kick that she sent in the air to the high-flying Heather Issing, who headed the ball in for her third goal of the season and second off of a header.

"Heather is one of the best girls in the air in the Ivy League," Penn junior forward Heather Taylor said. "Our strategy is to hit Heather [on corner kicks]."

Freshman Katy Cross also returned to her scoring ways by tallying her first goal in three games at the 78:06 mark, assisted by Taylor.

Cross now has 24 points on the season, with Synder close behind at 23. The single-season record of 26 points, set in 1998, is held by Jill Callaghan.

With Penn's victory and Harvard's 1-0 loss to Dartmouth last weekend, the picture of the Ivy League title race became a bit clearer. The Quakers now stand alone in second place, one game behind Princeton. Conveniently, the Tigers are coming to Rhodes Field this Saturday.

"The game was important for solidifying our position in the Ivy League, and it makes for an interesting Saturday this weekend with Princeton," Penn senior tri-captain Sarah Campbell said.

The Quakers also feel Saturday's trouncing is evidence of their certain presence in the mix of Ivy League powerhouses.

"We don't get a lot of respect," Taylor said. "It's always Princeton, Harvard and Dartmouth that are talked about. But we do have a lot of promise."

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