Despite outplaying Cornell, Penn women's soccer fails to score in 0-0 draw

Despite having to settle for a tie, Penn women’s soccer remains in control of its own destiny on the journey for an Ivy League title.

This past Friday at Rhodes Field, Penn tied Cornell in a hard-fought but scoreless battle. Coming off of a statement win against Harvard, the Quakers came out hot to start the game, firing off three shots to Cornell’s zero in the first 15 minutes of the contest.

Penn (2-5-3, 1-0-1 Ivy) continued to dominate the game, outshooting Cornell (2-4-2, 0-1-1) 28-10. However, this high shot quantity resulted in no goals. The team now has a total of 4 goals in 10 games.

Coach Nicole Van Dyke believed that her team would have won the game, were it not for the heroics of Cornell’s goalkeeper.

“Their keeper played unbelievable,” she said. “I think that she made some very good saves and kept them in the game.”

The team is still optimistic about its future despite the tie. 

“There are two teams we’ve played that we’ve been the better side. That alone shows how much this team has improved from last year to this year,” Van Dyke said.

With the tie, Penn now sits third in the Ivy League, a half game behind Princeton and Columbia. The Quakers entered the week tied for first — a position they haven’t finished in since 2010. 

Sophomore Emily Sands, with seven shots in the game, echoed the Quakers' confidence in their ability to win the conference.

“We’re still in the driver’s seat,” Sands said. “We still have just a good a chance as anyone. And, the Ivy League is crazy, every game. You never know what’s going to happen. It’s really still on us.”

Van Dyke pointed out that the Ivy League is rarely a conference which sees the champion go undefeated, emphasizing her doubt that any team will perform such a feat this season.  

Seven games decide the fate of the Quakers’ season, and so far, they are off to a strong start.

Friday’s league game against Columbia will be the next step on their journey to snapping a seven-year drought.  But first, it is on to Delaware State this Monday at Rhodes Field.