The memory of winning last season's final game against Rutgers still remains in sophomore Melissa Lehman's mind.
However, she couldn't play in that game -- or in many of the others last year -- due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Lehman is hoping to make a strong comeback as the women's lacrosse team prepares to kick off its season this weekend.
She will draw inspiration from one of the team's captains, senior Emily Cochran, who sat out most of the 2004 season after an ACL injury of her own.
"She's just so strong," Lehman said. "Seeing her bounce back from her injury makes me believe I can too."
This is just one role Cochran, along with the other senior captains, Ali Ryan, Kate Parker and Lauren McDermott, must fulfill.
Head coach Karin Brower also has high expectations for them on the field in her fifth year at the helm.
The four captains are expected to lead a team that has been steadily improving over the past few seasons. Coming off a 8-7 (4-3 Ivy League) year, the team has achieved winning records in two consecutive seasons for the first time in over a decade.
"We came here for this season," Ryan said. "We knew this was a building program."
And indeed, the defense will be one of the strongest in years, led by Parker, who received All-Ivy Honorable Mention last season and was an All-Mid Atlantic selection.
Rounding out the rest of the defense is junior Sarah Eastburn -- also an All-Mid Atlantic selection and second-team All-Ivy last year -- McDermott and junior Karen Jann, who led the team with 29 draw controls.
In goal, Brower will use both senior Karrie Moore and sophomore Sarah Waxman, who was relied on more heavily toward the end of last season.
On the offensive side, Cochran, honorable mention All-Ivy last year, and Ryan will lead the attack.
Sophomore Rachel Manson, who tied Cochran for the most goals with 24, and junior Chrissy Muller, who saw a lot of playing time as a freshman two seasons ago, will also return to the lineup.
At midfield, Brower says the team has more depth than ever. Controlling the transition game will be six sophomores vying for playing time.
The goals for this season are not unlike those of last year: to win the Ivy League and make the NCAA tournament.
What makes this season different is that the girls really believe it.
"The senior class has so much confidence, and it's our job to give that to the younger girls, too," Cochran said.
The schedule will be a tough one, especially considering that the Ivy League alone boasts four top-20 teams in No. 3 Dartmouth, No. 4 Princeton, No. 8 Cornell and No. 20 Yale, according to the Preseason Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Poll.
In addition the gruelling league schedule, the Quakers will also face several ranked non-conference opponents, including top-ranked Northwestern.
"Hopefully our tough schedule will allow us to make the tournament," Brower said.
Another goal for the season is to finally defeat Princeton and Dartmouth, two teams that the Quakers have never beaten.
Last year, the Red and Blue came close to topping the Big Green, but fell in the end, 8-10.
"Our challenges come in the mental part of the game," Brower said. "The change from last year, though, is that we expect to beat these teams rather than just hope."
The Quakers' first game will be at Franklin Field against Monmouth Saturday at 3 p.m.
It will be the opener for both teams and also their first meeting in a number of years. Brower says that Penn will try to "run it how we want to and not worry about what they're bringing."
"Any of the expectations we have, we put on ourselves," Cochran said. "So we're going to shock a lot of people."
