What field hockey coach Val Cloud doesn't know could definitely hurt her.
In Penn's first home game since beating Harvard 2-0 back on Sept. 9, the Quakers will play host to a relative unknown in Lock Haven on Sunday at 1 p.m.
In between those two games, the Quakers have taken some steps forward (with wins over Lafayette and Rutgers) and one big step back (a 2-1 defeat at Dartmouth that severely damaged the team's Ivy League title aspirations).
Now, with a chance to build momentum before facing Columbia next Friday, Penn must contend with a Lady Eagles squad that is just two years removed from a transition to Division I.
But Lock Haven is no wannabe. After establishing itself as one of the top D-II programs in the nation - bringing home five national championships since 1982 - the Lady Eagles have made the shift look easy, posting a 34-6 record in the past two seasons and winning the Northeast Conference title each time.
This season looks to be no different.
"They've played a lot of tough teams, and they've done really well against them," senior Tracy Statter said.
However, they have done better than "really well" as of late. After dropping their first three games - two of them to ranked opponents - the Lady Eagles have reeled off seven straight wins, including a 9-1 beatdown of Colgate, a 4-0 win over Towson, 6-0 blowouts of Bucknell and La Salle and 7-0 victory over Robert Morris last week.
Nonetheless, Cloud has watched film of her team's next opponents and thinks the game is winnable.
"We've been playing for pride, and we'll continue to do that," she said.
But their opponents are playing for something more - Lock Haven is eligible for the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time this year and is looking to crack into the rankings after just missing them last week.
Statter thinks the team is still driven, even after its letdowns so far. "Nothing has changed," Statter said. "Nothing is decided until the end."
True, but this game could be decided early on if Penn doesn't contain Lock Haven's Blair Wynne, who has so far tallied an astounding 14 goals in just 11 games.
But the Quakers have had a full week to learn from their mistakes at Dartmouth, and they are finally back on their home turf.
So is returning to Franklin Field a big deal?
"Definitely," Cloud said, especially "after being on the road for six games. We'd like to give our fans something to cheer about."
Against this opponent, a win would be more than enough to do that.
