F. Hockey wins in OT

Just call them the cardiac kids. After all, if the nickname fits, the Penn field hockey team might as well wear it. For the second time in this short season, the Quakers were taken into overtime because they couldn't seem to score, only to be rescued by senior midfielder Amy Pine's goal, which gave Penn a 1-0 victory. "It's frustrating when we can't score," Pine said. "We always seem to eventually. I just don't know why we always wait until overtime." Heading into the game, Lafayette was aware of two Quaker weaknesses it might exploit -- an inexperience on grass and a lack of offensive punch. Both of these glaring flaws surfaced as Penn (3-1) dominated the play but could not dent the twine of Lafayette's goal. "It's really starting to be frustrating," Penn coach Anne Sage said. "It was very similar to Villanova. We just could not score." Despite outshooting the Leopards 20-9, and despite maintaining a clear territorial edge throughout the game, the Quakers had not scored when regulation ended. Cue the dramatic music. Feel the tension build. Because in the world of OT, anything can happen. What transpired yesterday afternoon was nothing out of the ordinary for the Quakers, nor for Pine, their dynamically talented leading scorer. Just two minutes, 39 seconds into overtime, Penn was awarded a corner shot. Senior defenseman Rani Bajwa fired to senior defensive counterpart Mandy Kauffman, who tipped the ball to Pine. On Penn's 20th shot, Pine notched her third goal of the season as the Lafayette goaltender could do nothing but watch the ball sail into the net and lift the Quakers to their second overtime win of the season. "It's nice to score the game winner," Pine said. "But it's not because I am doing anything special. I'm just the shooter on corners. But it's the whole play on the corners that enables us to score." However, Penn's inability to take advantage of its opportunities is a cause for concern. The Quakers are barely managing to escape with wins, and with the Ivy League opener at Dartmouth looming this weekend, the schedule is only getting tougher. "This not scoring thing is getting tough," senior goaltender Suzy Pures said. "I just sit there in the goal, watching the minutes tick away, and I think 'God, Suzy, don't screw up now.' " Fortunately for the Quakers, she has not. Quite the contrary, Pures has been flawless in recording three shutouts. Nevertheless, the Quakers believe they cannot rely solely on their goaltending -- the offense must produce. "We have to make some changes offensively," Sage said. "We can't expect to go into overtime eight times this year and walk away unscathed. We've got to be able to score in regulation." However, all coaches do like to see how their team performs under pressure. Although Sage does not want these overtime thrillers to be a recurring theme, she is pleased with how her team has handled the extra periods. "Hey, these guys are firing away to win, and win only," Sage said. "They are not going to accept losing easily. They are not going to go down without a fight. "I think they know how to win. I think they are showing it with these overtime victories." These Quakers are resembling a champion. The more they are fought, the harder they fight. Of course, it's a double-edge sword, and they come with a serious warning -- though fans are in for a well-fought contest, and often a Quaker 'W,' spectators should be warned to check their pacemakers before venturing to Franklin Field. This overtime, nailbiting, thrilling victory thing is starting to become a habit.