Field hockey goalie Alanna Butera had only seen action in two games over two years, but after honorable mention All-Ivy goalie Liz Schlossberg graduated, the starting job was essentially bequeathed to her.
So when Penn (0-2) takes on St. Joseph's (0-2) tonight, the pressure to perform is on the junior keeper.
Butera played 35 minutes her freshman year and logged a start against UMBC in a late-season matchup last season to give Schlossberg a rest. She has never seen action in an Ivy game.
"She needs experience," coach Val Cloud said simply. "I don't think she touched the ball much" in her appearance last year.
But Butera perhaps got more touches than she wanted over the weekend at the Temple Invitational. Kent State kept her busy, and she made 11 saves against the Golden Flashes. On Saturday against Temple, Butera stopped five balls, but allowed four goals.
There is another goalie waiting on the sidelines, freshman Sara Heinze. Cloud indicated that Heinze would get some "experience" and that she's still unsure about the starting goalie. However, the odds favor Butera to keep the starting slot.
Cloud did say that she was recruiting a goalie for the incoming freshmen class.
"There's more pressure on me because nothing is set," Butera said. "Sara's putting pressure on me. It's making sure I'm not slacking off."
Butera's work wasn't enough this weekend as the Quakers fell 4-2 to Temple and 3-1 to Kent State on the Owls' Geasy Field.
The Quakers got off to a slow start last season as well, dropping their first three games before winning their first Ivy contest against Harvard.
Cloud did express some disappointment about the weekend, saying her team was not "game ready" yet.
"The team didn't react well to the second half start [against Kent State]."
The Golden Flashes fired off four shots in the first minute and a half, with the last finding the back of the net.
Cloud also said the group needs to work on looking for the best option on the field and passing the ball off quicker.
While the starters all are returning players, a few, like Rachel Eng and Stephanie Ragg, played more of a reserve role last year.
So with the "real" season not starting until its meeting with Harvard this weekend, the team is treating the St. Joseph's game as just another learning experience, according to senior captain Meghan Rose.
"We're going in with confidence, but we're still working out the lineup," Rose said. "We're making a lot more substitutions than we would later."
While the Hawks handed Penn a 2-0 loss last year to win their third straight game and stay undefeated on the season, St. Joseph's hasn't gotten the same jump this year.
The Hawks' dropped two close games to Fairfield and Hofstra, with the game against the Pride ending in double overtime.
In the two contests, freshman Jen Wrublesky has led the offensive charge for the Hawks, with four shots and the only goal to her credit.
And as both teams try to figure things out, one has to walk out with its first win of the season tonight.
