PHILADELPHIA – As the Ivy League season forges on, the University of Pennsylvania women's soccer team stays entrenched in the thick of the title hunt, and travels to Yale on Saturday with the purpose of staying right there.
The Quakers remain at the top of the table, tied with Harvard after the Red and Blue's win over Dartmouth, knocking the Big Green down from the group of unbeaten teams. The win marked the second weekend in a row that Penn took down another undefeated Ivy League team after colliding with Columbia the Saturday before.
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MATCH DAY 13 – Penn (10-1-1, 3-0-1 Ivy League) at Yale (7-5-1, 1-3 Ivy League)
Saturday, October 20 | 1 p.m. | New Haven, Conn. | Live Stats | ESPN+
MATCH DAY 14 - Penn (11-1-1, 4-0-1 Ivy League) vs. Delaware State (3-12-2)
Monday, October 22 | 7 p.m. | Rhodes Field | Live Stats | ESPN+
Series Information
Yale leads 12-10-6 | Last meeting: 2017 (Penn, 3-1)
Of the Ivy League teams, Penn has drawn Yale more than any other school, and despite trailing the Bulldogs overall, the Quakers have dominated the series in recent years. Since 2010, Penn has not lost to Yale, going 6-0-2, and enter Saturday winning three games on the trot. In last year's 3-1 win, Penn fell behind 1-0 in the 55th minute, but took the lead with a pair of goals in less than five minutes from Allie Trzaska and Sasha Stephens in the 64th and 69th minutes, respectively. Stephens added another goal in the 80th minute to put the icing on the cake.
Another Game, Another Shutout
As the season progresses and with another game in the rearview mirror, the number of conceded goals stays the same: three. Through 12 games, Penn has allowed just three goals – one in the run of play all the way back on August 31 to then-No. 13 North Carolina State – but none since September 9 in a 4-2 win over Navy. The Quakers have secured 10 clean sheets, sporting the best shutout percentage (.833), goals-against average (.241) and save percentage (.941) in the country. In total, it's been 669 minutes without allowing a goal and over 936 minutes since conceding in the run of play. Ten clean sheets is just three off the program record for shutouts in a season.
Qu's Quest for History
The current record for save percentage in a season sits at .898 and has stood since 2001 (Vanessa Scotto), and goals-against average has rested at 0.42 since Sarah Banks in 2011. Both seem to be in jeopardy of shattering in 2018. Qu, in 1,010 minutes, boasts a .27 goals-against average and .930 save percentage, in line to break both program records. She already holds the program record for solo shutouts (18), a mark she took over earlier this season. Nationally, Qu is No. 2 in the country in save percentage and No. 3 in goals-against average, while leading the Ivy League in both categories and shutouts per game.
Sandstorm
With match winners against Columbia and at Lehigh, Sands now has six this season, more than 117 teams across Division I soccer. Individually, the junior is tied for second in the country in the category, routinely showing out when the team needs it most. Against Columbia, it came in the 51st minute of a scoreless draw, providing the game's only goal in a massive Ivy contest. Three days later, on the road in a physical battle at Lehigh, it took until 52 seconds remained in the second overtime period for her to flick a ball past the Mountain Hawk keeper for the winner. In three Ivy wins, Sands has a pair of winners.
Ivy League Picture… Where We Stand
Just three league games remain for each team, but there is still much to be determined, as the top five teams are separated by just four points. Penn and Harvard continue to pace the field as the lone unbeaten teams remaining with 10 points. Dartmouth – who just exited that group after its loss to the Quakers last weekend – is locked up with Princeton, the preseason favorite, at seven points. Columbia is in fifth with six points. The route is a tough one for the Crimson with Princeton, Dartmouth and Columbia still left on the fixture list. Of those three, the battle with the Lions is the only one that Harvard plays at home. Remaining for Penn is Yale, obviously, Brown – who tackled the Tigers, 3-2, earlier this season and Princeton. Princeton finishes with the two mired in a first-place tie – Harvard and Penn – and winless Cornell. Saturday could begin to answer some questions as we head down the stretch with Harvard and Princeton and Yale and Penn battling simultaneously at 1 p.m.
Harvard and Princeton have combined for 10 championships in the last 11 years, including the last seven. Penn is looking to become the first team since 2008 to win the Ivy League without winning its first game of the conference season.
In the Record Books
Penn's 10-1-1 start is the best 12-game start in program history. The Quakers have the ninth-best winning percentage in the country (.875). Penn is undefeated in its last nine games.
Frontrunners
The Red and Blue are now 10-0 when scoring first. When grabbing the go-ahead goal, Penn has only been equalized once.
Close Game Success
Penn has played in six one-goal games, all coming in 1-0 fashion. Of them, the Quakers are 5-1, including three consecutive 1-0 wins, against Columbia, Lehigh and Dartmouth.
Road Warriors
After beating Lehigh and Dartmouth on the road last week, Penn is now 6-0 playing away from Rhodes Field and 5-0 in traditional road games. As part of the Navy Classic, Penn beat Delaware 2-0 in Annapolis, Md. for its lone neutral-site win.
League Leaders
Penn's nine-game unbeaten streak is the longest in the league … its four-game win streak is also the longest … in 12 games, Penn has scored 20 goals, leading the league in scoring average (1.667) … the Quakers have only conceded three goals this season, the best in the league; Princeton has conceded the second fewest (9), but triple the goals Penn has … three Quakers are in the league's top 10 in shots per game: Stephens is fifth (3), Trzaska is sixth (2.92) and Sands is ninth (2.75) … Sands is fifth in points with 14, and third in points per game with 1.17 … Sands is third (six goal) and Kelsey Andrews is seventh (four) in the league in goals … Trzaska is second in the league in assists with six and tied for first in assists per game, averaging an assist every two games … Sands leads the league – and is tied for second in the nation – in game-winning goals.
Previewing the Bulldogs
Yale hosts Penn at 7-5-1, buoyed by a four-game win streak during the middle of the season, defeating Fordham, Marist, Long Island and Robert Morris. It's been tough sledding thus far in Ivy League play, though, opening league play with a 3-0 loss to Princeton before dropping a pair of 1-0 results to Harvard and Dartmouth. The Bulldogs have earned victories in their two most recent games, beating Cornell 1-0 on the road before traveling to non-conference Delaware State midweek for a 6-2 win. Noelle Higginson leads the league in assists and also Yale in points, having scored four goals in addition to those seven assists. Aerial Chavarin has five goals and three assists and freshman Saje Brar has hit double-figure points with 12.
Previewing the Hornets
Delaware State arrives in University City having lost its last two, including a 6-2 defeat at home to Yale. The Hornets own wins over UNC Asheville, St. Peter's College and Canisius. In addition to Yale, Delaware State also played Mount St. Mary's, another common opponent and played the Mountaineers to a 1-1 draw. Jade Jamison leads DSU with seven goals and an assist. Savannah Ay also has scored four times for the Hornets.
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