FIELD HOCKEY SEASON REVIEW: F. Hockey falls 1 goal short of title

As the biggest disappointment of the year became set in stone at the hands of Princeton last Saturday, the Penn field hockey team could only remember a similar event last year. A team playing at its zenith, the 1995 Quakers simply couldn't muster enough goals to defeat the Tigers, who walked away with the Ivy crown undefeated in league play. In 1994, the Red and Blue needed a win to tie with the Tigers for a share of the title, only to have their hopes erased in New Jersey 2-1, as the careers of a crucial core of seniors came to an end. Once again this season, Penn failed to gain the crucial tie, falling again 2-1 -- only this time at home -- and dropping into a second-place tie with Dartmouth. Once again, unfortunately, the team loses a bunch of starters to graduation. The final game may have been the biggest letdown of the year, but the season will be remembered with a positive note. Playing at 100 percent every game is all any coach can ask for, but also something that rarely happens. For this group of players, under first-year coach Val Cloud, it was a reality. "We finished out the season with a bang -- scoring goals was the only thing that didn't happen that often," Cloud said. "We played the best we could play and we've been pretty consistent doing that. From that perspective, this was a very good season." One attribute of the impressive performances can be traced to excellent team play. Without any stars on the team, the squad benefitted from balance and unity. Just like last year, the team loses a key portion of the team because of graduating seniors, but, as junior Curran Kelly said earlier this season, 1995 was "the rebuilding year." Indeed it was, despite the seven seniors who returned. Many returning players were at different positions from last year. Captain Sue Quinn was the only player to have started since freshman year. The greatest problem during the course of the season was scoring from the field. Despite controlling many games, the Quakers struggled to put the ball in the cage. "You can't teach the instinct of being at the right place at the right time," Cloud explained. On the flip side, the most impressive part of the Red and Blue's play was the team-first philosophy displayed in every matchup. In addition, Cloud attributed the team's foundation to Quinn's defense. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Quakers' season was the skill of freshman goalkeeper Sarah Dunn. Dunn led the league in both save percentage and goals-against-average, and was named Rookie of the Week for the period ending Oct. 10. After Cloud replaced 24-year coach Anne Sage, who stepped down to become Director of Field Hockey and Women's Lacrosse, the Quakers got off to a promising 4-0 start. Even after a two-loss week at Delaware and West Chester, the prospect of a third Ivy championship in four years appeared good. The most impressive non-league win was a 1-0 victory over William and Mary, then ranked 17th nationally. Equally satisfying was the way the team held its own in a 3-1 loss to powerhouse Penn State. Unfortunately, the season ended with a string of three losses, including two league defeats, to nationally-ranked foes Maryland, Yale and Princeton. The recruiting process is now focusing on the admissions process. "We have quality players from quality schools going early decision," Cloud said. Those players are going to have to play an integral part in getting the ball in the cage next year -- which was the biggest talent Cloud looked for. The current players will also be concentrating on defense this spring and summer. "If you can't play good defense, you can't win the big one," Cloud explained.