In 2003, the Penn field hockey team was crowned champion of the Philadelphia City Six.
Can the Red and Blue do it again?
After an early victory against Saint Joseph's, it seemed that the Quakers (7-4, 2-1 Ivy) would claim their title once more.
Then, a 1-0 loss to Villanova last month set the team back a step. Under an illuminated Franklin Field last Wednesday, the squad earned a 1-0 victory over Drexel and moved one win closer to being crowned queens of Philadelphia field hockey.
"Last year we won the city title," Penn junior Cara Calahan said. "We lost to 'Nova, but we hope that by winning other Philly games we will still have a chance."
Although the Wildcats also earned a win against Drexel, they have yet to face two more Philly City Six teams: La Salle (5-8) and St. Joseph's (6-5). Tonight's match against visiting Temple (6-5) is the Quakers' last Philly City Six matchup and may determine the fate of the city title.
During last week's win against Drexel, the Red and Blue performed especially well on defense, allowing just one shot. In the wake of such a defensive success, the Quakers are looking for an offensive surge tonight.
Penn senior defender and tri-captain Kate Murphy, a staple of the Quakers' defensive wall, believes in the power of Penn's attack. The Penn defense "wants to keep connecting with our offense," Murphy said. "We had a very defensive game last time and so we want to play more offense and get the ball up the field."
Calahan and Penn senior All-American Liz Lorelli have thus far succeeded in penetrating opposing defenses. Working together, they pose a serious offensive threat.
Still, the duo managed only one goal during last week's game against Drexel. The Quakers walked away with a win, but Calahan and Lorelli are still looking to improve the team's offensive power.
"We really have to focus on building and maintaining an attack, not just Liz and I, but incorporating midfield and backs as much as possible," Calahan said.
"We can't just win, we need to win big," Lorelli said. "And we can't win by just one goal."
Murphy looks to the Quakers' hard-fought victory over Delaware as a model for all future contests.
"Delaware was a great game," Murphy said. "We all had the game of our season together as one, and we want to continue that trend of everyone making a contribution to the team."
Penn's 2-1 win over then-No. 14 Delaware on Sept. 26 highlights the Quakers' potential this season. By contrast, the Owls fell, 5-0, when they faced Delaware late last month. Even with the comfort of these statistics, Penn is ready for a challenge.
"Temple is definitely a strong team and it's going to be a fight," Lorelli said. "But we are the stronger team and we can come out on top."
