Field hockey edged by 'Nova

The Penn field hockey team fell one goal short of victory last night against the Villanova Wildcats, losing 2-1. The non-league loss was the Quakers (0-1) first game of the season. Last year, the Quakers dominated Villanova in a 4-1 victory. "We had a game before we played them last year," Penn coach Val Cloud said. "This year, it was our first game and their fifth game. "They were ready to compete physically. We had a great preseason and we're playing really well, but that was a little too much experience for us to handle tonight." Tri-captain Maureen Flynn, the Quakers' only returning first team All-Ivy player, scored the first goal of the game on a penalty stroke that Wildcats goalie Sarah Wiggin was unable to stop. Flynn's score would end up being the only shot Wiggin did not stop last night, as she finished with 10 saves. Flynn's goal, along with Penn goalie Sarah Dunn's nine first-half saves, paced the Quakers' dominating play during the early part of the night. The Quakers' momentum was halted shortly before halftime, however, as the Wildcats (2-3) took revenge. With just 2 minutes, 9 seconds left, 'Nova junior Mary Krauss put the ball past Dunn and gave her team new life as time expired. "[Villanova's first goal] definitely gave them the momentum going into the second half," Cloud said. Krauss used her team's newly found momentum to her advantage when the Swarthmore, Pa., native netted her second and final goal with 22:29 remaining in the game. "[Villanova] came out strong in the second half," Cloud said. "As the game went on we were getting more and more flat-footed. I think the physical end of the game was showing up." Flynn said that despite the loss, she was encouraged by the strong efforts put forth by Penn senior Audrey Heinel and junior Brooke Jenkins. The Quakers are looking to get on the winning track this Saturday when they head north to oppose Ivy league opponent Dartmouth. The Red and Blue will use both yesterday's loss to Villanova and last year's defeat to the Big Green as motivation to come back from Hanover, N.H., with their first victory of the 1998 season. "[Dartmouth] will be a tough game. It's a big rivalry because last year we had been winning 3-0 and ended up losing 4-3 in overtime," Flynn said. "This will be a game that we come back to reestablish ourselves."