The Harvard women's soccer team opened its season with a strong 2-0-1 start.

The team featured a talented attack coupled with a strong defense and had designs on the Ivy title.

But things haven't gone its way since then.

Neither the offense nor the defense distinguished itself in the team's losses to Brown and Boston College.

In its last two games, the Crimson has allowed six goals while scoring only one.

Today, Harvard (2-2-1, 1-1-0 Ivy) needs to pull itself together when it meets Pennsylvania at 11:00 on Ohiri Field.

Piece of Cake

Barring a complete and total collapse by the Crimson, racking up a win should not be a problem.

This is the first year that Penn has had a varsity women's soccer program. Any Ivy victories for the Quakers will be considered major upsets, except perhaps over Columbia.

Picking up a win is critical for the Crimson because the rest of the schedule is packed with tough matches. Upcoming contests include games against Yale, Ivy League leader Cornell and Connecticut, which is presently ranked second in the nation.

Look Alive

The hustle and defensive intensity that marked the first three games hasn't been there in the Crimson's recent losses to Brown and Boston College.

"Individually, we've played well," junior Sharon Olken said. "But as a team, we haven't played together."

Pulling it all together is especially important for a team that prides itself on a controlled offense. The unassisted goal is a rarity for this team.

Too often, the Crimson offense creates assist opportunities without finishing them.