SEASON PREVIEW: Field Hockey

Field Hockey wants to continue successField Hockey wants to continue successQuakers look for third straight Ivy crown Penn field hockey coach Anne Sage was grinning. With the Quakers' noon season opener at Franklin Field against St. Joseph's less than 36 hours away, the normally reserved Sage was still sporting a sly smile. "Watch out for this group," Sage said. "They're going to be dynamite." In reality, that's a fact the rest of the Ivy League already knows all too well. The Quakers (11-5, 6-0 Ivy League in 1993) return all but two players from a team that went undefeated in the Ivies en route to its second consecutive league crown. Penn earned an automatic NCAA tournament bid by winning the Ivy League title and competed in the tourney for the first time since 1989. "I couldn't have asked for more," senior goalkeeper Suzy Pures said after last season. "We got the job done. What we set out to do we got done. We won the Ivies and we made the tournament. Everything we wanted to do has been done." However, in the first round of the NCAAs, the Quakers were soundly beaten, 3-0, by then No. 9 Syracuse. After manhandling league opponents throughout the regular season, Penn could not weather the Syracuse attack, nor could the Quakers mount any of their own successful offensive pressure. "Our players have been together for three years and I really want us to enjoy this year," Sage said. "They're carrying on our winning tradition." Penn's quest to upset preseason favorite and defending national champion Princeton, and complete the three-peat begins with its heart and soul -- the seniors. "The seniors are really setting the tone," Sage said. "The luxury of having an experienced team is that they're mature players and they play well together. I think they take us to another level." Defensively, the Quakers may be approaching another stratosphere. Senior co-captain and defender Mandy Kaufman and Pures are back to bolster a defensive unit that allowed only a single goal in 1993 Ivy competition. Kaufman, a first team all-Ivy selection and U.S. Olympic Festival participant last year, is a key in sparking Penn's transition attack. Pures (1.17 GAA) has been tough on the rare occasions when she has been tested. Beyond Kaufman and Pures, Penn enjoys depth and experience in the defensive backfield. Senior Rani Bajwa and junior Sue Quinn are both tenacious competitors and perennial starters while senior Melissa Sage also saw action in 10 games last season. Penn possesses a bona fide offensive threat in senior co-captain and midfielder Amy Pine. A two-time all-Ivy selection and team MVP, Pine (10 goals, 5 assists) finished second in the league in scoring last year and was named a first team Mid-Atlantic regional all-American as she seemingly scored at will throughout the season. Pine's fellow senior and second team all-Ivy selection, Lily Ma, is a skilled passer on the left side, while juniors Jessica Gilhorn and Abby Herbine round out an experienced midfield which loses no one from the 1993 squad. It was this midfield that allowed Penn to attack through well-executed transitions. At attack, juniors and second team all-Ivy selections Kara Philbin and Amy Shapiro return as Penn's second and third leading scorers, with seven and five goals in '93, respectively. Juniors Marla Maiorano and Tara Owens both will add depth to the offense while splitting time at forward and bolstering the scoring attack. "I think after winning back-to-back titles and going to the NCAAs last year, we're well-seasoned and experienced," Sage said. "We know exactly what we have to do. This season we're in a situation where teams are going to try to come in and knock us off. We're top dogs." The Quakers' first challengers will be the Hawks (8-9-1 in 1993), who are much improved this year and hungry for a top 20 ranking. St. Joe's relies heavily on junior midfielder Dani Blean, who was named Atlantic-10 Defensive Player of the Year in 1993. However, Blean is not just a one-dimensional player as she also managed to lead her team in scoring last season. Penn has only faced this crosstown neighbor once before. In 1976, the Quakers won the only meeting, 4-0. "St. Joe's is well coached and plays a very similar style to ours," Sage said. "We can't be tentative. We have to go out and set the tone." With an experienced squad that is almost as intense and confident as she is, Sage doesn't appear overly concerned.