The weaknesses on Darren Ambrose's women's soccer team are no secret.
His squad managed only four goals in seven Ivy League games in what he called "a learning year," a constant source of frustration for a coach used to putting his teams near the top of the league.
"Realistically, last year probably wasn't the year for us," he admitted.
Worse still, he graduated a pair of experienced defenders in Tracy Bienenfeld and Megan Boys, leaving behind a lean back unit of only four.
All he can do now is wait to see if his fixes pan out.
The Quakers tried to address those problems with their 2007 recruiting class, a six-player group with at least two players who can help in the attacking third.
Ambrose hopes Sarah Friedman's technical ability and ball distribution can make her a presence in central midfield. Friedman has been on Penn's radar for a long time, having played at Ambrose's summer camps.
At 5-foot-3, the "tenacious" Kristin Kaiser could provide much-needed speed and versatility.
Despite a relatively small class, which Ambrose said was "not quite as deep down in numbers as we'd like to be," the defensive end was addressed as well. Kaitlin Campbell, who played on Ambrose's national-title winning Under-17 Olympic Development team, can play at center back or in a holding midfield role.
And defender Kylie Mitchell has experience tackling on a national stage; her game-saving tackle for her high school football team earned her a highlight on Sportscenter. Ambrose will count on her to tackle with her legs, not her arms, to provide depth at the back for Penn.
He threw in another wildcard with Marisa Schoen, a player from Hawaii who will play mostly on the wing, in defense or midfield. Ambrose hailed Schoen as an example of Penn's recruiting pull nationally despite a down year for the program.
"You'd be surprised, we get a lot of interest from all over the country," he said. "We attract kids, whether they're from Europe or Hawaii.
"We said: you could be a part of a team that's growing and is going to be together for years . as opposed to sitting somewhere or going somewhere where they wouldn't know what their role would be."
One recruit who looks to have an uphill battle is Gina Winters, who will have to fight with a pair of sophomore goalkeepers for time on the field.
But after finishing second-to-last in the league, Ambrose knows he can't be too picky with his freshmen.
"It's not any different whether we have ten seniors or no seniors," he said. "If they're good enough, they'll play."
