PHILADELHIA, Pa.--One week ago Cal Ripken, Jr. ended his streak on his own terms. On Saturday the Penn women's soccer team had two of its streaks stopped, but the Quakers had little choice in the matter. HARVARD 2 PENN 1
Harvard (5-2-1, 3-0 Ivy) dominated Penn (6-1-1, 0-1-1) at Rhodes Field on Saturday afternoon for a 2-1 victory. The win by the Crimson ends the Quakers' seven-game unbeaten streak, and Harvard's first goal broke Penn's string of 729 consecutive minutes without allowing a goal.
"I'm happy that we won," Harvard Coach Time Wheaton said with a chuckle. "I don't pay that much attention to other people's streaks. Certainly we're happy to get two goals, enough to win the game."
Freshman forward Colleen Moore and senior forward Naomi Miller were the authors of Harvard's two goals, which came within 5:13 of one another. Moore's tally, the first by a member of the Class of 2002, knotted the score at 1-1, and Miller's unassisted goal turned out to be the gamewinner.
Penn junior goalkeeper Anne Kluetmeier had not allowed a goal this season, but that changed in the game's 70th minute when the Crimson's unrelenting offense finally broke through the Quakers' last line of defense.
Trailing 1-0, Harvard continued its onslaught at the Penn net as it had all day and notched a well-deserved goal. Miller started the play when she dumped a pass into junior forward Beth Zotter from the top of the box.
Zotter maneuvered around two Penn defenders toward the end line and sent a cross into the middle of the box where Moore had come free. The rookie one-timed the ball low to the center of the net past a diving Kluetmeier to tie the score at 1-1 and give the Penn defense its first blemish of the year.
"It felt incredible," said Moore, who has done an excellent job since replacing injured junior Gina Foster in the starting lineup. "It's just really exciting to contribute. It feels pretty good to put a dent in their season."
Harvard wasted no time in taking the lead for good. In the game's 75th minute, Harvard junior midfielder Ashley Berman fired a shot on goal that Kluetmeier stumbled forward to save, leaving her out of position with a rebound heading in Miller's direction.
Miller turned and fired high at the goal, where a well-positioned Penn defender leapt and headed the ball back Miller turned and fired high at the goal, wherea well-positioned Penn defender leapt and headedthe ball back out. But Miller was there again, andshe refused to be denied twice. The defending Ivy League Player of the Yearrocketed a shot high inside the far post thatKluetmeier never had a chance to save, and Harvardled, 2-1. "I didn't think much about their streak; itdepends on competition," Miller said. "I justthought we were better. It's great, not because webroke their streak, but because we're 3-0 in theIvies. Our ultimate goal is to win Ivies." Harvard controlled the game from the beginning,attacking the Penn goal in seemingly endlesswaves. The Crimson was the aggressor throughoutthe match, and it took its chances early andoften. Co-captain Emily Stauffer led the charge withwhat may have been her most assertive performanceof the season. Despite constantly being marked bytwo or three defenders--as has become commonplacefor the All-American--Stauffer was able to lookfor her shot and set up her teammates more oftenthan in recent matches. Zotter, Berman and co-captain Devon Binghamhelped keep the pressure on the Penn defense withoutstanding runs and accurate passes that createdquality scoring opportunities. Sophomoremidfielder Meredith Stewart and senior back AshleyMarynick also showcased their power with severalpotent crosses and shots, particularly near theend of the first half. Read more in SportsRecommended Articles