Heading into the season, the Penn field hockey team's defense was the most inexperienced part of the roster -- having lost three seniors to graduation last year. But the one position where the Quakers do not lack experience is goalie.
And while the offense finally hit its stride after posting three goals in victories over Cornell and La Salle, the netminding duo of sophomore Amanda Jacobs and freshman Elizabeth Schlossberg has played a large part in Penn's winning two of its last three.
After this run, the Quakers (3-4, 1-1 Ivy) can make it back to .500 for the first time since the first week of the season with a victory over Villanova (5-4) tonight at Franklin Field.
Jacobs and Schlossberg are platooning, with each goalie playing one half of each game.
"It's been a while since we've had this system, but it's also been a while since we've had two great goalies," Penn coach Val Cloud said. "This system will continue until one of them demonstrates better play over the other."
The goalies bring different strengths to the Penn lineup.
Jacobs already has a full year under her belt with the Penn squad. The Wilmington, Del., native started every game for the Quakers last year and posted three shutouts.
Schlossberg, meanwhile, was a member of the U.S. Under-20 National Field Hockey Team. The native of Chevy Chase, Md., was selected to the All-Metropolitan team by The Washington Post.
"Elizabeth brings a lot of experience with her playing on the national team," Cloud said. "But it's her athleticism that makes her really stand out."
Jacobs has received more time in the net this season, but only because Schlossberg has been hampered by injuries that kept her out of all or most of four games.
Saturday's win over La Salle was the first time the goalie duo shared time in a Quakers win.
Schlossberg earned her first collegiate victory with her three-save shutout performance in the second half.
Despite competing for playing time, both Jacobs and Schlossberg say that they will do whatever they can to help the team.
"There is absolutely no tension between us," Jacobs said. "We get along great, we even have a secret handshake."
"We split time, we encourage each other," Schlossberg said. "We cheer each other on even in practice."
Schlossberg insists that competition only makes each stronger.
"I think we've been pushing each other throughout the whole season because we want to see each other succeed," Schlossberg said. "It makes us closer, it makes us better."
Tonight, both Jacobs and Schlossberg will focus on the Wildcats and their leading goal scorer, sophomore Rory Rogers, as the Quakers try to remain undefeated in Philly Six competition.
"It's a big game for us and our momentum going into the rest of the Ivy League games," Cloud said. "We always have battles with our Philly rivals."
