Steele | A season in review, before it even happens

When my colleagues and I interview the coaches and players that comprise Penn Athletics, it’s fair to say that our conversations are more often than not devoid of anything, to put it bluntly, bold.

Luckily, I get to have a less stringent filter. I’m here to be bold.

For Grace Calhoun and our friends in Athletic Communications, keeping expectations low — at least those that are portrayed externally — is a good thing. Red and Blue quarterback Alek Torgersen has never elevated himself to Joe Namath status and guaranteed a win. As bad as some teams are in the Ivy League, no coach has ever responded to a question about his or her team’s chances by saying, “I’m almost positive we’ll kick their asses.”

It’s not surprising that Penn players rarely allow us to know exactly what their expectations are. While you should hold the Red and Blue to a high standard on the field, nobody wants to be that person who foresees great things from herself and her team, only to fail to meet those expectations.

But, what the hell? After finishing in the 100th percentile during March Madness and nailing a few others guesses of late, I’m willing to give you five definitive statements about the Quakers in 2015-16.

There’s no way these can go wrong. Yet nobody will be surprised when they all eventually turn out to be horribly off.

1. Junior Alec Neumann will lead the Ivy League in goals.

It’s difficult to replace a legend, but that’s exactly what the New Hope, Pa., native will attempt to do as the Quakers move on from legendary striker Duke Lacroix.

Fortunately, Neumann played well last season, scoring eight times, a mark good enough to finish tied for third in the Ancient Eight. With Princeton’s Cameron Porter out of the picture – he scored 15 goals in 2014, nearly double Neumann’s total — the Red and Blue forward should pace the conference and give Penn a chance at its second Ivy title in three seasons.

2. Five wins would be considered a success for Penn football ... But the Quakers won’t get there.

Coach Ray Priore’s first season at the helm features a series of difficult games, with very few guaranteed victories on the schedule. It’s safe to say Penn can beat Columbia and Cornell, but nothing else will come as easy.

The Red and Blue have zero shot at taking down Villanova, Fordham, Yale, Dartmouth and Harvard. With contests against Lehigh, Brown and Princeton — the latter two of whom should take a step back in 2015 — Penn will need to sweep that trio to reach .500. Unfortunately, I don’t think the Quakers have it in them.

3. The Ivy League women’s basketball race will come down to the final game of the year.

Two seasons ago, Penn and Princeton did battle at Jadwin Gym with a berth in the NCAA Tournament on the line. The Quakers won that game, ending the Tigers’ run of Ivy titles.But Princeton went 30-0 and took the Ancient Eight crown going away in 2014-15.

In March, the stage, the players and the narrative will be the same as when Penn captured its first conference championship in a decade back in 2014. Unfortunately for Mike McLaughlin’s squad, the Quakers will fall short and end up in the WNIT yet again.

4. Penn Athletics will celebrate more than two Ivy championships.

Last year, the Red and Blue only captured Ancient Eight titles in women’s squash and men’s golf, while Penn gymnastics won the Ivy Classic. On the other hand, a group of defending champions. including women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer and women’s basketball, fell short of repeating.

But it’s a safe bet that those three, as well as rejuvenated men’s basketball and women’s soccer teams, can all finish near the top of the conference table. There’s definitely room for improvement for numerous squads, particularly throughout the fall season. Yet you heard it here first: Year two of the Calhoun era will pack the trophy case more than it did last season.

5. Even when I’m wrong about everything mentioned above, I’ll still be a Red and Blue optimist.

I mean, someone has to be one, right? Let the games begin.

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