Junior forward Clare Robke kicks the ball away from Temple on Sep. 22.
Credit: Annie LiuPenn women's soccer finally found its stride against Temple with a shutout 4-0 win, marking its first victory of the season.
In a physical matchup against the Owls (2-8), the Quakers (1-5-3) managed to keep the ball upfield as much as possible, resulting in four solid goals. Penn played a connective game with good passes and strong assists, leading to the Quakers' highest offensive output of the season.
“This is the first game where we’ve scored more than one goal,” coach Krissy Turner said. “From an attacking perspective, there was a lot of great movement and decision making which let us put a few in the back of the net.”
The Quakers' first goal came from freshman forward Lily White 19 minutes into the game, when White found a pass from sophomore forward Magali Capdevila. White took the assist off the right foot and found the back of the net for her first goal of the season.
The game’s first half saw the Quakers play a physical game, with a questionable call coming midway through when the referee missed a hand ball and a tug down of Temple’s sole striker.
For the most part, the Owls were playing a fairly individual game, as Temple’s midfielders struggled to pass the ball off to their forwards. On the other hand, the Quakers were able to fire a series of solid passes and assists for the full 90 minutes. In particular, the Quaker’s defense brought an aggressive game that helped keep the ball upfield.
Later in the first half, Capdevila continued to dominate the field, sneaking a shot into the goal with an assist from White and freshman defensive midfielder Isabella Zulli. Post goal, Capdevila was switched out, a pattern that was present for much of the game.
The matchup was filled with rotations, suggesting that the Quakers are still trying to find their starting lineup. This is to be expected when over half of the roster is composed of underclassmen.
“I think our depth is a strength of ours,” Turner said. “We played 26 players today, but going into Ivy play, there’s probably not going to be that many rotations.”
27 minutes into the second half, sophomore midfielder Avery Chapel made the Quakers' third goal after finding the back of the net off a ball that was deflected by the goalie. Chapel played a dominant game throughout with two attempts on goal.
With two minutes left on the clock, the Quakers went up 4-0 with sophomore forward Abbey Cook finding a close range shot that hit the top of the net and bounced into the goal. She was assisted by senior forward Megan Lusher.
“We’ve been working a lot on ball movement,” Chapel said. “Also we’ve been looking to find the higher player and then build support underneath.”
Penn’s win is coming in at the perfect time, right before the start of the Ivy season. Previously 0-5-3, the Quakers struggled to find their footing.
“We have a shorter preseason than other teams because of Ivy rules,” Chapel said. “Now we’ve been able to come together and work on some of the holes in our game.”
The Quakers will be looking to carry this momentum forward next week when Penn takes on Columbia on Sept. 28 in the first Ivy matchup of the season. Catch the Quakers at home on Rhodes Field or on ESPN+.
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