A bold statement that this is the "best talent" she's ever had came from thirteenth-year field hockey coach Val Cloud, who has coached 33 All-Ivy selections and the 2005 champions. Despite the lofty goal of climbing back to the top of the Ancient Eight, Cloud was quick to point out that a title is far from an easy task.
"The big factor here is how quickly we are going to gel together as a team. Last year we had a nice team as well, but it took us a while. We realize that we've got to get off to a good Ivy start."
No kidding. Last fall, the Quakers started the season a dismal 3-7 before an undefeated October catapulted the team to their second-straight 9-8 record overall, going 4-3 and finishing in second place in the Ivy League.
This season, Penn returns eight seniors and has lost only five to graduation. They look to build on last year's successes and avoiding the similar rough start.
"We worked back from it really well," senior co-captain Meghan Rose said. "But we don't ever want to sink back down and dig ourselves into a hole that we have to dig back out of. We want to stay on top from the start."
Rose, who was a unanimous All-Ivy first teamer, leads a midfield which Cloud believes will have a major impact on the team's offensive execution. It includes last year's leading scorer and all-Ivy second-team selection Nicole Black and Rose's sister Kathryn, an all-Ivy honorable mention and a member of the sophomore class Cloud refers to as her the best ever.
The Quakers open their season with two games at the Temple Invitational, competing against the host Owls (1-0) on Saturday and Kent State (0-2) on Sunday. The team knows it needs momentum from the start, and depth helps to ease concerns about playing on consecutive days.
"I can see the entire team contributing just as much as any other person," senior co-captain forward Jamie Calahan noted. "We have so much depth, even on the bench."
If Penn can win both games this weekend, it will be a great boost of confidence for a season with plenty of hurdles on the schedule, including ACC powerhouse No. 4 Duke, whom the Quakers visit on Oct. 21.
The season culminates with a Nov. 2 visit from the defending champions Princeton, who defeated Penn in overtime last year after the Quakers tied the game with only seven seconds remaining. The Tigers have ruled the Ivy League for over a decade, earning at least a share of 12 of the last 13 championships.
But with such a strong senior class and talent throughout, Cloud and her squad are confident in their ability to defeat the rival powerhouse and break the Tigers' stranglehold on the Ivy League title.
