Women's soccer coach Darren Ambrose has some unexpected opinions.
For one, despite all 19 letterwinners returning from last season, Ambrose believes this year's squad won't have the same feel.
"There's a different team, a different chemistry," he said. "There are 29 players. I had 18, 19 healthy bodies last year. . The playing rotation is going to be more competitive."
However, there's one thing Ambrose does not want to change: the Quakers' first-place finish.
Last year, the team won its first-ever outright Ivy League Championship - it split the title with Dartmouth in 2001 - going 13-4-1 overall and 6-1-0 in the Ancient Eight.
Yet, then there's oddity No. 2: Ambrose doesn't see Penn as "defending" its title.
"Our kids are looking forward to the opportunity to win it again," he said. "I don't think any of us look at it as defending anything, because I don't see it that way. Again, it's a different team, it's a different year."
At the same time, with all 11 starters back, there will be familiar faces on the field for the Red and Blue. Junior Jessica Fuccello led the Quakers with 11 goals and 26 points in 2007. Senior midfielder Natalie Capuano only had three goals, but two of those were scored on penalty kicks, as she shot 100 percent from 12 yards out. Penn also returns its three-goalkeeper rotation.
Ambrose foresees a balanced club.
"It's not about one particular player," he said. "It's not about one person scoring all the goals, or one person defending, or one goalkeeper doing her job. It's going to be about numerous people stepping up in every game if we're going to be successful."
Not only will the starting 11 be well-rounded, but with all eight reserves from last year back, the team's depth will certainly be a strength.
"We know certain players will get shut down," Ambrose said. "But we have so many different players with ability. If everyone plays their part, we have a great opportunity to win."
First up for the Quakers are the Pittsburgh Panthers, as the Red and the Blue travel to the Steel City to open up their schedule on Sept. 5.
Then Penn continues its Big East tour, facing local rival Villanova on Sept. 12 and visiting 2007 NCAA-tournament participant Georgetown on Sept. 21.
Although the Quakers have the talent to repeat as Ivy champs, they need to watch out for Yale, which returns nine starters from last year's second-place squad. Penn beat the Bulldogs, 2-1, vlast season, but this year it must travel to New Haven, Conn.
If the Quakers can dispatch their Constitution State rivals, though, they just might repeat as champs.
Just don't call it "defending" their title.
