Dave Zeitlin: Can Penn end the dynasty?

In case you didn't pick up a copy of yesterday's Philadelphia Inquirer, here's a rundown of the day's top sports stories:

World Series recap, Flyers result, Princeton field hockey feature, Donovan McNabb story.

Wait, hold on a second.

A story on the Princeton field hockey team? In a Philadelphia newspaper?

What exactly does the Penn field hockey team -- a team in the midst of its best season in recent memory, a team on the verge of making a complete worst-to-first turnaround -- need to do to get a little respect around here?

"We're not worthy of such recognition," Penn field hockey coach Val Cloud said, sighing. "[Princeton] is a powerhouse. I can't argue with that."

It really is hard to argue that point. The Atlanta Braves of their sport, the Tigers have won seven straight league titles.

Princeton coach Beth Bozman has turned the program into a dynasty and her team is showing no signs of slowing down.

With a win against Penn tonight, Bozman will claim her ninth Ivy crown in 14 years at the Orange and Black's helm.

There's only one problem. Penn's a good team now.

After an extended stay in the Ivy League basement, the Quakers are now 4-1 and in prime contention for an Ancient Eight ring.

It certainly is a novel situation, and Cloud does not quite know what to make of it.

"[Tonight's game] is obviously very big," the seventh-year coach said. "It's a long shot. I guess we're really playing for the championship."

It's a long shot. I guess we're really playing for the championship.

This is not exactly what you want to hear from the head coach going into perhaps the biggest game of the season. But her tentative words just show how supreme the Tigers have been in recent years.

Do you see a Philadelphia Inquirer story on the Penn field hockey team in the near future?, I asked the coach.

"Obviously, I'd like to see that," she replied. "But until we get some recruits, it's not going to happen. I can't even get an official visit. The financial aid they give, the prestige of Princeton..."

Her voice trails off. "It's just tough."

There's no doubting that Princeton has a stranglehold over the rest of the members of the Ivy League.

The Tigers are the monsters of the conference, and the question now is, 'Can any team bring them down?'

When Princeton steps onto Franklin Field tonight, how will the Quakers react? Will they see a foe too great to conquer or will they see a great chance to end a reign of dominance and perhaps begin one of their own?

"When they got that first [Ivy] win against Dartmouth," Cloud remembers, "they realized how nice it was to win."

Well, why stop now?

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