Field Hockey tries to snap losing streak against Lions

The simple solution is to score goals. But as any sports teams can tell you, that's easier said than done. The Penn field hockey team has the chance to follow the example of the Quakers men's soccer team this weekend and break a goal-scoring drought which has plagued them during a five-game losing streak. Penn (1-6, 0-3 Ivy League) has not won since beating Villanova on September 14. Today, the Quakers play at Columbia, a game about which Quakers coach Val Cloud said, "Winning this game is a must." The Lions have not won an Ivy game in three years and the Quakers do not want to be the team which ends that streak. "Winning this game would be the spark to give us added confidence for the rest of the season," Cloud said. Like Penn, the Lions suffered a five-game losing streak after opening with a win against Lehigh. In their last game, on Saturday, however, they recorded their second win of 1999, beating Colgate 1-0. Cloud is reassured by the fact that the Red and Blue have maintained high spirits despite their losing streak. "We are in good shape physically, and have a good attitude, very positive," Cloud said. But surely at some point the lack of numbers in the win column can take its toll on a team. "At some point we have to win and today is that point," Cloud said. A major plus for Penn going into this game is Courtney Martin's return to full working order. Martin had been suffering from a broken pinky finger, but the co-captain had her cast removed on Tuesday. Fully healthy, Martin should be in better position to help Penn maintain offensive pressure and convert the corners into goals. "It's still sore, stiff and swollen," said Martin, who will see how her hand survives the game against Columbia. Martin, who led Penn with nine goals last season, has scored twice this year. Having her healthy should be a much needed boost to the team's attack. "We played better against Delaware [in a 1-0 loss on Tuesday], but still need to play hard for the full 70 minutes," Martin said. Cloud also stressed the importance of taking advantage of the corners and being able to finish after pressuring the opposing net on Penn possessions. "We know what we have to improve on, we just need to do it," Cloud said. Martin echoed her coach's sentiments. "We need to focus on keeping the ball and creating the chances for us to score," she said. After the Quakers face the might of the Lions in New York, they return to Franklin Field, where they have a game on Sunday at 1 p.m. against William and Mary. William and Mary is 7-5 on the season but lost their last game against Wake Forest 3-2. The Tribe may well prove to be a tough opponent; last year they defeated the Red and Blue 2-1. Tribe co-captain Catherine McCallum, a four-year starter, leads their attack with five goals so far and could well prove a threat to Penn's defense. Cloud insisted that the Quakers were not looking ahead to William and Mary, as they focused on Columbia in practice. However, Penn's biggest focus remains on increasing its scoring. In a defeat against Delaware this week the team did show "an improved aggressiveness from the defense," according to Cloud. However, this improvement needs to happen, and happen fast, if the Quakers are going to get their season back on the right track. With 10 games left, Penn still has a shot at salvaging a winning season. And as everyone concerned with the team fully understands, the only way to do that is to start scoring some goals.