Though La Salle was winless heading into this weekend's match, the Penn women's soccer team didn't look past the game as a guaranteed win.
La Salle "was a tough opponent. We expected going into the game that we would really have to work for every ball," junior defender Jessica Woodward said.
And the win came.
The Quakers emphatically disposed of La Salle, 3-0, at Rhodes Field, as junior forward Katy Cross scored two goals and had an assist.
Thirty-four minutes into the first half Penn (3-0-2) netted its first goal. Cross provided junior Lydia Bojcun with an opportune pass. Bojcun controlled it in front of La Salle's goal and sent it past Explorers' goalie Marisa Suarez. This was the Quakers' only goal of the first half, although Penn did outshoot the Explorers, 6-1.
Woodward said that La Salle played well in the first half, and managed to keep the play relatively even.
Explorers forward Jessica Eisele -- who attempted both La Salle shots on goal in the game -- received a yellow card 25 minutes into the match.
Halftime proved a beneficial reprieve for the Quakers, who looked to increase their small lead. Whatever the halftime talk entailed, Penn's strategy proved effective as the Explorers began to wear down in the second half. The Quakers took advantage -- attempting nine shots after the break and connecting on two.
"In the second half, we picked it up a little bit, really wanting to pull off a good win," Woodward said.
"We handled a lot of one-touch balls which picked up the pace of the game. I think we wore them down, which was what we were trying to do."
In the 73rd minute, Cross netted her first goal of the game off a crossing pass from junior Devon Sibole. Just five minutes later, it was dej vu, as Sibole again gave Cross a feed, who found the back corner of the net.
The Quakers dominated the second half, as the Explorers mustered only one shot on goal in the period.
Penn goalkeeper Anna Halse stopped both of La Salle's shots on the way to her first shutout of the season.
The 3-0 win was Penn's largest margin of victory thus far, as its other two wins came by one goal.
The Quakers will use this win to prepare for Ivy League rival Harvard in Boston next weekend.
"We needed this win to give us that extra confidence going into our match against Harvard," Woodward said.
"We wanted to win convincingly -- and we did."
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.