On Wednesday Sept. 29, the Penn field hockey team tasted defeat.
Over a month later, the Quakers have yet to repeat the experience.
Since then, Penn (12-4, 5-1 Ivy) has allowed only two goals, both of which were during the Quakers' 3-2 victory over Dartmouth.
The statistics of the Red and Blue's season reveal their rise among the Ivy League leaders. With the last game of the 2004 season approaching, the question lingers: will the Quakers finish the season on top?
TOMORROW'S MATCH at Princeton (7-9, 5-1) is perhaps the most important game of the season for the Quakers. With a win, the Red and Blue would clinch a share of the Ivy League title with Harvard (10-6, 5-1).
"It's the biggest game of the season," freshman Melissa Black said. "We want a shutout. We want the win."
The two teams met early this season in Penn's first scrimmage. The Quakers fell, 3-1.
Since then, however, Penn has come a long way.
"We played Princeton at the beginning of the season," Penn freshman defender Kelsey Nickles said. "But we have made a lot of progress since then, and we are ready to put up a fight on Friday."
"We are trying to really focus before the game, and not be nervous just because it is Princeton," Black said.
Through tough contests, including a loss to Villanova and quality wins against Dartmouth and Delaware, the Quakers have evolved into strong contenders for the Ancient Eight crown.
Princeton "was the first scrimmage of the season," Nickles said. "We didn't have our team together. We were a little rocky and rough around the edges, but we've straightened things out and become a stronger team."
The Quakers' current streaks of seven wins and six shutouts prove their abilities on both offense and defense.
"We've gotten more used to different players' dynamics ... we are finally really understanding each other's skills and working well together," Nickles said.
Penn will face off in its last regular-season game of the season at 7 p.m. in Princeton, N.J., tomorrow.
PENN'S SUCCESS can be attributed, in part, to the key contributions of its freshmen. Strong performances from these new Quakers, especially sweeper Black and midfielder Nickles, have helped place the team in position to finish atop the Ivy League.
The Ivy League has certainly recognized the potential of these young players; a Penn freshman was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week three times this season.
Nickles garnered the title after a strong performance in the Quakers' 2-0 win against Brown last Sunday.
This marked the second consecutive week that a Penn player was honored.
Last week, Black received the award for the second time this season. Though only a freshman, Black has played an integral role in the Quakers' last six shutouts as the team's starting sweeper.
SENIOR ALL-AMERICAN Liz Lorelli was recently selected by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association to participate in the annual North/South Senior All-Star Game.
"Usually when you get honored you might get a certificate, which is nice," Lorelli said. "But this is especially fun because it involves playing."
Lorelli, a forward, will play with and against top players from around the country. "It should be a lot of fun and great competition," she said.
