W. Soccer drops first two games

Two games. Two losses. Zero goals scored.

Suffice to say, the Penn women's soccer team got off to an inauspicious start over the weekend at the James Madison University Invitational.

The Quakers began the regular season Friday with a 4-0 loss to Richmond.

"I think we weren't ready," Penn sophomore Jessica Woodward said. "We played flat-footed and not on our toes.

"It was one of our poorest games ever -- a real wake-up call," Woodward added. "Most of us in our soccer careers have never lost a game 4-0."

Nearing the half, Richmond's Molly Rettig broke the scoreless tie with a header past Penn goalkeeper Vanessa Scotto. After the break, Meghan Ogilvie netted a pair of goals, and Annette Isham added another, handily giving the Spiders a victory.

"We were a little disorganized on Friday," Penn coach Darren Ambrose said. "We were a little unfit and not on the same page."

Yesterday, playing the host-Dukes, the Red and Blue lost again, 1-0. A goal by James Madison's Deanna Saracino in the 15th minute gave the home team all it needed.

Ambrose, however, remarked that the loss may have overshadowed the progress his squad made over the two-day weekend.

"We dominated 80 percent of the game," Ambrose said of his squad's game against James Madison. "We controlled the pace and the ball, but we haven't spent a lot of time creating scoring chances, and that showed."

Penn did have a few opportunities, the closest of which was a shot by sophomore transfer Lydia Bojcun that careened off the post. Katy Cross and Jen Valentine also came close to scoring for the Quakers.

"I think we had a couple good opportunities, but we weren't able to finish as we would have liked," Bojcun said. "I think the next couple of games, you'll see a lot more scoring."

Bojcun's efforts earned her recognition on the all-tournament team. She and Woodward were the only two Quakers to earn the distinction.

Though the Red and Blue are 0-2, the season is long and there is ample time for improvement. The team's No. 22 national ranking may suffer, but championships are not won by dwelling on standings.

"Rankings aren't the main concern for us," Woodward said. "Our focus is taking [the season] each game at a time... one day at a time."

Next weekend, the Quakers will tangle with Seton Hall and Monmouth. Having seen Penn's deficiencies, Ambrose can now go to work on this green club -- a unit which started four freshmen and six sophomores in Sunday's match.

"As a team we're still incredibly young," he said. The weekend "was a learning experience, and I think it showed our character the way we played in [yesterday's] game."

"Everyone knows this is a team to be reckoned with."

Yesterday, Richmond improved to 3-1 overall, with a win 4-1 win over Tulane.

James Madison, now 3-0-1, beat Tulane 3-0 on Friday. The Green Wave are now 1-3 on the season.

James Madison topped Richmond 5-1 one week ago at the Wachovia Challenge.

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