The women's soccer team (7-9, 2-4) had its winning streak snapped at three on Saturday night in Philadelphia in a 2-0 loss to the University of Pennsylvania. The loss drops the Bears to fifth place in the Ivy League and eliminated almost any chance the team had at an NCAA tournament berth.
The Quakers were able to get into the scoring column on a header off a corner kick a little less than halfway through the first half. That goal proved to be all the Quakers would need, as they were able to shut out the Bears for the rest of the game.
Despite not scoring, Brown did not sit back, and the Bears were able to get many scoring opportunities with a new system of attack. The Bears used two forwards, six midfielders and two backs in order to generate more offense and scoring opportunities.
"The format created a more offensive game for us," said co-captain Meghan Schreck '06.
The format proved to be useful throughout the game, as the Bears were able to outshoot the Quakers 7-6. But even with the advantage in shots, the Bears were not able to capitalize on their opportunities.
"They got lucky on scoring on their corner kick early, but we still had more shots than they did. We just couldn't capitalize, and that is just the way it goes sometimes," Schreck said.
The game was not all about missed opportunities. Although Penn was outshot, the Quakers did have a very strong defense in the air, which limited the amount of head ball opportunities for the Bears.
The Quakers were able to get on the board again late in the second half to give them an insurmountable two-goal advantage. Despite being down two goals, Brown continued to search hard for a goal.
"I thought we played a very solid game. We gave a lot of extra effort," said co-captain Michelle Sriwongtong '05.
That attitude has been a staple all season for the Bears, who have been in every game they have played despite playing a very difficult schedule.
"We knew we had nothing to lose. Playing together this year has given us a really nice feel for each other. This year has been very valuable in getting experience for the future," Schreck said.
With only two seniors on the team - Sriwongtong and Kim Hagner '05 - the Bears will return many starters next year.
The Bears hope to end the season on a positive note when they host Yale University in their final game Saturday at 7 p.m.
