Will Penn women's soccer's midfielders fill a Beck-sized hole?

Gone are the pirouettes and the turns. Gone are the short little touches and moves away from defenders. Gone are the delicately weighted passes.

But the battle for the midfield will begin once again.

With the departure of Erin Beck, the fulcrum of Penn women’s soccer’s attack for the last two years, the Quakers have had to search for a replacement for a two-year captain and one of the best players in program history.

“Beck was a really intense player,” said Claire Walker, a midfielder last year who will now move to the back line. “She held a huge presence on the field, you always knew she was there and she wanted the ball. She played extremely quickly, really small touches: ones and twos.”

While the Quakers will miss Beck, Penn hasn’t made any major adjustments to its 4-3-3 style. Although the team briefly experimented playing with three in the back line during the preseason, it’s yet to be seen if Ambrose will shake up the system.

For now, Penn will look to set-up a tilted midfield triangle with one holding, or defensive, midfielder and two central midfielders ahead, one of the spots Beck occupied. The extra player in the midfield will be used to maintain a strong spine in the middle of the field, win any 50-50 balls, and encouraging open play down the flanks.

The job of holding midfielder will fall now to Kaitlyn Moore, a junior who started in 12 of 15 games last year. An enforcer who has played in all but one game the past two years, Moore will be asked to help provide cover and balance, in addition to tracking opposing midfielders as they come down the middle of the field.

“I think we fit in with each other pretty well and I think we’ve had a lot more movement between the forwards and the attacking midfielders,” Moore said. “We’ll definitely miss [Beck], but I feel pretty confident.”

Much of the team’s attacking creativity and vision will now fall to Erin Mikolai, who was praised by her teammates for maintaining composure while on the ball and for her quick passing that relieves pressure. While the sophomore started eight games in her rookie campaign, much of it in the midfield, it will be interesting to see how she adapts to being the focal point of opposing defenses.

“Luckily Mikolai has a very similar playing style [to Beck] and she’s grown into herself,” Walker said. “She had a great freshman year and she’s matured over the past year.”

“This year we’re working really well together,” Mikolai added. “We’re moving off the ball for each other and supporting each other.”

Coach Darren Ambrose has yet to determine who will fill the third spot, but in all likelihood a much improved Laura Oliver, Lindsey Sawczuk and Ana Chevtchenko will all compete for the spot in the early portion of the season.

And while Beck was a tremendous piece of the triangle last season, the hole she leaves may also help the younger players taking her place to develop without over-relying on her touch, vision, or movement.

“What I’m trying to avoid, and I don’t think we ever want to get to that point where [you have] just that one player,” Ambrose said. “You become very one dimensional and easy to stop. So I like the way it’s structured at the moment … they’re all very capable.”

“We honestly just have to play for each other,” Mikolai remarked.

The battle has just begun.

SEE ALSO

Kasper | Offense will define Penn women’s soccer’s season

Beginning of a new era for Penn women’s soccer’s defense

The goal? More goals, finishing from the start for Penn women’s soccer

Family ties bind Red and Blue’s up-and-coming Kaitlyn Moore

So close, yet so far away: the highlights of Penn women’s soccer in 2012

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.