Season begins at Yale for W. Lax

Ushering in the 1998 season, Penn will challenge the Elis and Cardinal this weekend. Ushering in the 1998 season, Penn will challenge the Elis and Cardinal this weekend.Andrew McLaughlinUshering in the 1998 season, Penn will challenge the Elis and Cardinal this weekend.Andrew McLaughlinThe Daily Pennsylvanian For the Quakers (5-7 overall, 2-4 in the Ivies in '97), tomorrow's match against the 14th ranked Elis in the potentially muddy Yale Bowl is a very important early-season Ivy test. "We're underdogs, and I love to be the underdog. I love to be the spoiler," Penn coach Anne Sage said. "If we play well, we're going to come home with a 'W'." The Elis (2-0, 0-0 in '98) already have two games under their belt this year. Neither Eli win -- Hofstra and Holy Cross -- though, was against ranked competition. On the other hand, although tomorrow is the Quakers' season opener, they have already "competed" against some of the top teams in the nation in their scrimmages at the William and Mary Invitational over spring break. "The [scrimmage] against William and Mary I think definitely helped us get ready and prepare for Yale," sophomore defenseman Lee Ann Sechovicz said. "We definitely have had some great competition [on the spring break trip]." The Quakers defense brings a lot of experience to the table for this underclassmen-dominated team. Junior Jenni Leisman and sophomores Amy Padula and Sechovicz all return with a year under their belts. Combined with the return of junior netminder Sue Back, the Quakers are set to prevent the Elis from putting up big numbers, even on their home field. Penn may have its hands full, though, as the Elis return the '97 Ivy Rookie of the Year -- sophomore attacker Heather Bentley. Bentley has already scored nine goals for the Elis in their two games this season, and junior attacker Alyssa Chen has pitched in with nine more. "We're going to force mistakes. We're going to take them out of their game plan," Sage said."The key is that we're ripe and ready to play." Junior Katy Miller leads a young Quaker attack -- one that will probably feature three first-year players -- on Saturday. The bulk of the scoring may come from the solid Quaker mid-field -- one which is anchored by senior co-captains Darah Ross and Emily Hansel. Both were second-team All Ivy a year ago, and combined with sophomore Brooke Jenkins, give the Quakers a potent offense. The test for Penn is to get past Eli goalie Alison Cole. The junior has only given up 10 goals in the Elis' two games so far this season. "If we come home playing well against Yale, then that'll give us that little bit of confidence against Stanford," Sage said. On Sunday, the Quakers face the Cardinals (6-1) at home. This is the first time the two teams have met as Stanford is still in its infancy as a varsity team. A team that stays in California for most of its season, the Cardinals fell in their only match to an out-of-state opponent so far this year, 16-13 to Notre Dame. The Cardinals' leading scorer from a year ago, Hedy Born (64 goals, 19 assists), has already scored 24 goals so far this season. Cardinals co-captains sophomore Alexis Patrizio (33, 20) and junior Carey Jones (23, 8) return to augment their team's high-powered offense. Nonetheless, the Quakers feel prepared for their season-opening matches. There are 12 new faces on this year's Quaker team, and five of them managed to crack the starting line-up. "I think we're psyched. We're really excited? and a little apprehensive," Sechovicz said. The experience of the senior co-captains and other returning players, as well as the time spent together over spring break, will filter down to these new Quakers to add depth to the potent lineup. "We need a game right now. The kids are hungry," Sage said.