It does not take a sports genius to pick out the deciding factor in the most recent women’s soccer contests between Harvard and Penn.

In 2001, then-freshman midfielder Katy Cross scored a hat trick for the Quakers, who defeated the Crimson for the first time ever, 3-1.

In 2002, with then-junior back Lauren Cozzolino assigned to roam around the field with her, Cross could manage only a single shot and the teams fought to a scoreless tie.

So how is Harvard (2-3-1) planning to deal with Cross—who has led the Ivy League in scoring for the past two seasons—when the Quakers visit Ohiri Field at 11 a.m. tomorrow?

“Last year, we worried about her specifically,” junior back Liza Barber said. “We haven’t talked about anything like that this year.”

Rather than devote his entire defensive strategy to stopping one player, head coach Tim Wheaton has decided instead to adopt a wait-and-see approach with Cross, adapting as her threat becomes apparent.

“We haven’t really decided that yet,” Wheaton said. “But our defense is ready.”

The team is confident that the new formation it employs this year, which places four defenders in the back row, will be able to contain the Penn (3-0-2) offense—and its prolific scorer.

Cross, for one, welcomes the challenge of facing a Crimson defense that has allowed just a single goal in its last three contests.

“We’re excited to have a tough opening [Ivy League] game,” she said.

As the season got underway, it looked for a while like the Crimson would not have to worry as much about Cross, who was held without a goal in her first three games.

However—and likely to Harvard’s chagrin—she has tallied five goals in the Quakers’ two most recent games, breaking the all-time Penn career goal and scoring records in the process.

“I was more excited because they were my first goals this year [rather than because of the record],” Cross said. “It was good to get out of my scoring slump. Now I’m pretty much back in the swing of things.”

And that’s potentially disastrous news for Harvard.

The contest will mark the beginning of Ivy League play for both of these teams, which means that the match will have added importance.