PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania women's soccer team continues Ivy League play Saturday, welcoming Columbia to Rhodes Field for a 1 p.m. matchup on ESPN+. The Quakers enter the contest following a 1-0 victory over Princeton, their first win over the Tigers since 2014.
Columbia (3-6-3, 2-1 Ivy League) at Penn (6-4-1, 1-1-1 Ivy League)
Saturday, Oct. 17 | 1 p.m.
Philadelphia, Pa. | Rhodes Field
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Penn vs. Columbia Series
*The all-time series between the programs is nearly even, with Columbia holding a narrow 15-14-5 advantage across 34 meetings.
*Last season, the teams played to a 2-2 draw, snapping a five-game losing streak for the Quakers against the Lions. Penn scored twice in the first half before Columbia rallied to even the match after halftime.
*Abbey Cook scored her fourth goal and ninth point of the season in last year's meeting, while Magali Capdevila added her first goal of the campaign. The two-goal performance marked Penn's highest scoring output against Columbia since 2011.
*Penn will look to earn its first victory over the Lions since 2018, when the Quakers claimed a 1-0 win at Rhodes Field.
Quaker Notemeal
*Building momentum: Penn has put together a 5-1-1 stretch over its last seven matches, including its longest winning streak since 2018. During that span, the Quakers have outscored their opponents, 11-7.
*A breakthrough against Princeton: The Red and Blue earned a 1-0 victory over Princeton in their most recent contest, snapping an eight-game losing streak against the Tigers and securing their first win in the series since 2014. Cook scored the game-winning goal in the 88th minute, while goalkeeper Ria Desai recorded her first career win and individual shutout. The result also marked the first time Princeton had been shut out since Sept. 3 against ranked Ohio State.
*Ivy League standings: Penn enters the weekend fifth in the conference standings with four points through three league matches. The Quakers earned their first point with a 2-2 draw against Brown before defeating Princeton. Brown leads the Ivy League standings with seven points.
*Senior standouts: Seniors Cook and Mia Fuss continue to lead the Quakers' attack. Cook tops the team with five goals and 11 points, while Fuss has recorded four goals and 10 points. The duo has combined to score each of Penn's last six goals, a stretch spanning five matches.
*Among the Ivy leaders: Cook's five goals rank tied for third in the conference, while her 11 points place her ninth. Fuss is tied for the Ivy League lead with three game-winning goals.
*Contributions across the lineup: Casey Forman joins Cook and Fuss as Penn's only other multi-goal scorer. Capdevila, Lily White and Camarin Choi have also found the back of the net this season, while Hailey Adamsky and Avery Chapel have recorded points. Chapel earned her first point of the season with an assist against Brown.
*Playmaking from the back and midfield: White has been a key creator for the Quakers, leading the team with five assists, tied for third in the Ivy League. Five Penn players, Cook, Fuss, Capdevila, Forman and White, have recorded at least five points this season.
*Freshmen making an impact: Freshman Josephine Hensley and Desai made their first career Ivy League starts to open conference play. Hensley recorded five saves in Penn's draw against Brown. Desai followed with seven saves against Princeton, the most by a Penn goalkeeper in a game this season, while earning her first career shutout.
*A strong defensive foundation: Penn has been among the Ivy League's top defensive teams, ranking second in the conference in save percentage (.774) and shutouts (five). The Quakers have allowed 12 goals through 11 matches, ranking second in the Ivy League in goals allowed and goals-against average (1.09).
*Individual defensive excellence: Megan Graves ranks second in the Ivy League with a 1.06 goals-against average.
*A strong start to conference play: Penn's 1-1-1 start in Ivy League action is its best through three conference matches since 2018, when the Quakers opened league play 2-0-1.
*Home-field advantage: The Quakers remain unbeaten at Rhodes Field this season, posting a 3-0-2 record while outscoring opponents, 11-4. Penn has recorded its season highs in goals, assists, points, shots and shots on goal at home.
Scouting the Lions
*Columbia enters Saturday's matchup at 3-6-3 overall and 2-1-0 in Ivy League play. The Lions are tied for second in the conference standings with six points.
*The Lions head to Philadelphia riding a two-game winning streak, having earned consecutive shutout victories over Dartmouth (2-0) and Cornell (3-0). Columbia is the only Ivy League team to have recorded back-to-back shutouts over its last two matches.
*Before the recent winning streak, Columbia opened conference play with a 4-0 loss to Brown.
*The Lions' five goals across their last two matches represent a significant boost to an offense that has struggled to find consistent production this season.
*Columbia has recorded just one road victory this season, a 2-1 win over La Salle in August. That result also stands as the Lions' lone nonconference win.
*The Lions were selected to finish fourth in the Ivy League preseason poll, receiving 81 points.
*Balanced scoring attack: Columbia has spread its scoring across eight different goal scorers. Junior Gabby Chan and sophomore Evelyn Javers lead the team with two goals apiece, while Chan tops the roster with six points.
*Creating chances: Columbia's attack has produced relatively few assists, with five recorded this season by four different players. Five Lions have attempted more than 10 shots.
*Experience in goal: Junior goalkeeper Samantha Mahoney has started all 12 matches for Columbia, recording 40 saves, a .741 save percentage and four shutouts. The Brookline, Mass., native will look to continue her recent form against a Penn attack led by Cook and Fuss.
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