Penn takes on 'Nova for game two

The Quakers hope to create more scoring chances in their second contest. After a shaky win in its opening game at St. Joseph's on Friday, the Penn field hockey team will look to come out strong against the Villanova Wildcats at Franklin Field tonight at 7 p.m. The Quakers (1-0) will once again face a tough, aggressive defense in their attempt to avenge last year's 5-3 loss at Villanova. The Wildcats (3-3) are coming off of a 2-0 home victory last Thursday against La Salle. The team is similar to St. Joe's with its pressuring defense. The Quakers were flustered by this aggressiveness in their opening game and, as a result, had few scoring opportunities. This will be the second year in a row that Penn meets Villanova in its second game. This year's Quakers, however, are more experienced, led by five returning seniors and a number of sophomores and juniors in the starting lineup. "We'll need strong leadership from our seniors, and good support from our younger players," Quakers coach Val Cloud said. Among these youngsters are freshmen Cindy Quinn and Bess Freedlander. Quinn, who followed her older sister Sue, a 1995 All-American, into the program, played the entire game on Friday. Freedlander also contributed with significant minutes. In order to win tonight, the Quakers will have to make some adjustments on both sides of the ball. "We are stronger than last year, but I wasn't pleased with the game on Friday," Cloud said. "We'll make some adjustments to the lineup on defense. We have a lot of quickness up front, but we didn't have enough attack against St. Joe's. We have the quickness and the experience, it's a matter of utilizing the two." The Red and the Blue will also have to control the ball more with their passing game. "Last season, they controlled the game. This time, we need to activate and maintain our passing, and take control from the beginning," Penn senior co-captain Michele Canuso-Bedesem said. "I think I've convinced them that in order to move the ball forward, they also have to pass it backward and sideways," Cloud said after yesterday's practice. Villanova comes into tonight's game with midfielder Jackie Fulginiti as the team's sole senior starter. The Wildcats have been led in scoring thus far by two sophomores, Katie Craig and Mary Krauss. Craig leads the team with five goals, followed by Krauss with three. The two have started all six games for Villanova this season. Junior Sarah Wiggin will likely make her seventh start in the net, having allowing 10 goals in six games with a .866 save percentage. "It will be a tough game, but we are a different team than we were last year." Canuso-Bedesem said. "Now they come here, our same position in the schedule as last time. We need to beat their aggressiveness if we want to redeem ourselves."