Penn women’s soccer loses closely fought match against Princeton

The third time isn’t always the charm.

After a loss and a draw in its first two Ivy League matches, Penn women’s soccer was hoping to brighten their Ivy conference hopes in this game on a clear fall evening in Princeton. However, the Quakers were not able to keep up with the current leaders of the Ivy League, falling to the Tigers 1-0.

In a scoreless first half, Penn (1-7-4, 0-2-1 Ivy) was able to hold off Princeton’s (8-3-0, 3-0-0 Ivy) powerful offense. The first seven shot attempts of the game were all made by the Orange and Black, but junior goalkeeper Annabel Austen protected the net, finishing the game with 10 saves. 

Penn typically starts the game with a 4-4-2 line-up. To strongly oppose Princeton's potent attack, the Quakers made the switch to a 3-5-2. The formation change was designed to provide a flexible composition with a defensive barricade to oppose much of the Tigers' attacking passes. 

Princeton took control of the game easily, maintaining much of the possession of the ball throughout the first half. Maintaining the clean sheet was not an easy feat during the opening frame of play as the Quakers lost possession in dangerous areas, including committing a handball in a dangerous area. Despite the mistakes, which may be a result of the team's younger roster, the Red and Blue were able to keep Princeton out of the net. 

The second half brought about more action as Penn began to display more aggression in its attempts to fend off the Tigers. The roaring crowd was filled with unwavering Princeton fans, including their men’s basketball and soccer team, but the Quakers were not fazed as they aimed to climb the rankings of the Ancient Eight. 

After a long game of cat and mouse, Princeton midfielder Lily Bryant finally found the back of the net in the 63rd minute. The ball weaved through all of Penn’s defenders before slipping past Austen. Still, the Quakers were determined to put up a fight.

The game’s momentum came to a halt after a harrowing head-to-head collision between two players — one from each team. Play ceased for an extended period of time, only resuming after one of Princeton’s own was carted off the field to seek further medical care.

Following the break, Penn center forward Abbey Cook felt temporary glory after a goal in the dying minutes of the game, but it was quickly reversed after the referees determined that she was offside. The Quakers took this in stride, continuing on as sophomore midfielder Mia Fuss — Penn’s leading scorer this season — fired off a near miss that went just above the crossbar. As the clock ticked its final seconds, Penn was unable to get on the board, granting the Tigers their eighth win of the season.

The defeat drops the Quakers to last place in the Ivy League standings. Penn women's soccer's quest to climb out of that hole will begin against Brown this Sunday at Rhodes Field.