Despite defeating Lehigh, 3-1, last Tuesday, the Penn women's soccer team was unhappy with its performance. After a beautifully played 2-0 victory against Cornell last Saturday, the Quakers came out flat and were inconsistent against the Mountain Hawks.
Still, the Quakers have won their last three games, outscoring their opponents, 7-1, and outshooting them, 53-25.
"We weren't as sharp on Tuesday as we hoped to be," Penn junior forward Heather Taylor said. "We'll be able to play a lot better on Saturday, though."
This weekend, however, will demand that Penn plays a game like its league contest. The Quakers (7-1-1, 1-1 Ivy League) travel to Columbia (8-2, 1-1) on Saturday for a crucial Ancient Eight matchup.
The Lions, usually Ivy doormats, have done a total 180 this season. They are 6-0 at home this year, including three overtime wins.
Columbia is ranked ninth in the Northeast region by Soccerbuzz.com. In the Mid-Atlantic region, the Red and Blue are ranked sixth.
Adding to the mix is the fact that Columbia will celebrate its homecoming this weekend.
"Columbia has really turned it around this season," Penn coach Darren Ambrose said. "It'll be two good teams going at it -- we'll have to be at our best."
Scoring goals this season has been a problem for Penn, as the Quakers have failed to put away many close games.
Ambrose, however, is not worried about his team's ability to rise to the occasion this Saturday, even after Tuesday's performance.
"We were a little off on Tuesday, but Saturday is an Ivy League game," Ambrose said. "I guarantee you we'll be motivated and ready."
The Quakers also had problems earlier in the season with crossing the ball across the field, but Ambrose has been happy with the squad's improvement in that area.
"We're really at the point where we're fine-tuning our game," Ambrose said. "We've got an excellent defense, we've really improved at keeping possession of the ball."
The Quakers will again look to their freshmen to provide the scoring punch on Saturday. Newcomers Katy Cross and Rachelle Snyder lead the team with 17 points each, and fellow classmate Devon Sibole has contributed nine points on the season.
Saturday's starting goalkeeper is still up in the air. Penn sophomore Vanessa Scotto has allowed a miniscule 0.43 goals against average so far this season, while freshman Anna Halse-Stumberg has a 1.43 GAA. Both played a half in Tuesday's victory.
For the Quakers, who are currently tied for third in the Ancient Eight, this is a chance to move above .500 and equal the number of Ivy wins they had last season.
"We're just going to go out there and get the `W,'" Taylor said. "We want to ruin Columbia's homecoming."
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