F. Hockey win streak will be on the line vs. Harvard

After three straightAfter three straightvictories. theAfter three straightvictories. theQuakers will face offAfter three straightvictories. theQuakers will face offagainst the Crimson The Penn field hockey team is peaking at just the right time. After starting their season by losing three of their first four games, the Quakers (4-3, 1-1 Ivy League) are now riding a three-game winning streak heading into tomorrow's contest against Harvard (4-3, 1-0) at Franklin Field. Harvard, currently the No. 18 team in the nation, is led by coach Sue Caples. On the field, the Crimson count on freshman goaltender Anya Cowan, who garnered Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors two weeks ago. "Harvard is definitely going to be a good game," Penn goalkeeper Sarah Dunn said. "I think we've been playing a lot better as a team lately. If we can play like we did against William & Mary, then we'll have a good shot at winning." Earlier this season, the Quakers defeated William & Mary, 2-1, on away turf. But the Crimson have also defeated the Tribe this season, with that match ending in a 1-0 Harvard shutout. In order for Penn to be competitive tomorrow, the Quakers underclassmen must continue to contribute as they have in recent games. Penn freshmen Maureen Flynn and Katie McCuen each scored their first collegiate goals in Wednesday's victory over Ursinus. "Offensively, the underclassmen are starting to fit in better," Dunn said. "They've played well for us? As a team, we've really been looking for the passes. And our defense has been more organized." Even though Penn and Harvard's overall records are identical, two Harvard losses have come to teams that are ranked in the nation's top 10. A pair of 2-1 nail-biters went in favor of No. 7 Duke and No. 8 Connecticut, accounting for two of the Crimson's three losses. Last season, the Quakers were able to beat Harvard in Cambridge, Mass., shutting the Crimson out, 1-0, on a second-half goal by departed senior Marla Maiorano. This year's scoring attack is led by Penn co-captain Michele Canuso-Bedesem, who currently leads the team in goals scored with six on the season. Junior Tara Childs has also added four goals. Canuso-Bedesem, like the team as a whole during the winning streak, has caught fire of late. In the Ursinus contest, the junior defenseman scored two goals. Penn seems to have found a replacement for Sue Quinn, the 1995 graduate who controlled the action on the field from her sweeper position. Like Quinn, Canuso-Bedesem has become the focal point of their corner attack. But the Quakers have yet to face a team of Harvard's caliber during their three-game run. Tomorrow's contest will provide some indicator of whether Penn really is a team capable of challenging for the Ivy League championship or just another pretender.

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