Fresh off conquering a mountain, W. Lax now confronts a molehill

The Columbia women's lacrosse team may just be a pebble in the Quakers' shoe.

And Saturday's game against the Lions is a small obstacle in Penn's campaign for its first Ivy title since 1982.

Though the Lions (3-5) have not proven to be much of an opponent in the past, the Quakers are still starting their usual lineup. Their team strategy is to take nothing for granted.

After a win against No. 12 Johns Hopkins, the Quakers are likely to move up from their No. 14 spot. This season's team has proven thus far to be the best since 1980. Coach Karin Brower is confident her team's season will end successfully if it maintains the same attitude.

"They just work as a team really well," Brower said.

With the goal of winning the Ivy Championship, the Red and Blue are not taking any game lightly. A loss against any Ivy League team could send the Quakers on a downward spiral.

"This Columbia team is the best we have seen," said Brower. "The hardest thing about sports is that you have to be up for every game."

An important aspect of the Quakers is that they have a balanced team - a strong offense, midfield and defense. The team is dependent on more than one unit, unlike its most recent opponent. Johns Hopkins' star player, Mary Key, was supposed to lead the team to victory on Wednesday, but was shut down by the Quakers defense. With a slightly modified idea - shut down Columbia's entire team - Brower is expecting a fairly easy game.

"Mary Key is a special player and there is no player like her on any team," Brower said. "The game against Columbia is more about us. We are not changing anything."

Although earlier in the season, the Quakers were defeated by Northwestern 13-4, they bounced back with a winning streak. They haven't lost a game since.

At this time last year, the Quakers' record stood at 5-4. Comparatively, this year the Quakers are already holding strong with a 7-1 mark. So why the change between this year's team and last year's?

"This year we are taking the field believing that we are better than everybody we are playing," Brower said. "It is a different confidence than last year."

The junior class is leading the team on all areas of the field with this renewed outlook. Among them is goalkeeper Sarah Waxman and attackers Melissa Lehman and Rachel Manson.

"They have all worked really hard," Brower said. "They have put in the work in the off-season, in the summer and the fall, and they are confident with themselves."

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