The execution of a penalty corner in field hockey is a bit like that of a field goal on the gridiron. In lieu of snap, kick and hold, there is pass, stop and shoot. The team that plays the percentages will give its best offensive threat that shot, and Margaretha Ehret is as close to a short-corner specialist as Penn can get.

The odds did not favor Penn goalie Alanna Butera against Harvard on Saturday: she faced 10 shots on goal. Three found their way past her. Meanwhile, Crimson goalie Kylie Stone faced just five shots, and, predictably, only yielded a goal. Penn dropped to 0-4 with the 3-1 defeat.

It was a weekend of solid performances, but mixed results. The Penn women's soccer team followed a tough 1-0 loss Friday night against Michigan State with an easy 6-0 victory yesterday over Saint Joseph's.

As a defensive end getting offers from numerous BCS conferences, Josh Neubert got caught up in the hype. But when the Philadelphia-area native got to Boston College, he knew he didn't make the correct decision on what college to attend.

0-3. No team ever wants to start off a season with that record next to its name. But that's where the Penn men's soccer team is right now after heading out west and losing 0-1 to No. 7 Cal (2-1-0) on Friday and 0-2 to Stanford (1-1-1) yesterday. While the Quakers are describing the road trip as the dreaded "learning experience," they are not losing sight of the fact that they played closely two very good teams less than a week after being blown out 2-6 at Seton Hall.

Only one bench player, freshman forward Kristin Kaiser, managed to crack the lineup in Friday's 1-0 loss to Michigan State, while the Spartans kept their team fresh with six bench players entering as substitutes. Penn's lack of depth coming off the bench, a problem that came into focus during a rough preseason, became glaring this weekend.

The Penn volleyball team is not focused on wins and losses just yet. And it's a good thing, because the Quakers lost all three matches at the Seton Hall tournament this weekend. The Quakers fell to host Seton Hall in four games on Friday. The Pirates (5-3) were in their eighth match of the year, while it was the season opener for the Quakers.

With the Quakers' new run-and-gun offense under coordinator Bill Schmitz, quarterback Robert Irvin will likely spread the ball around, and the offense must have a dependable third option at wideout.

While you would be hard-pressed to call the Penn women's soccer squad a group of grizzled veterans, they're hardly the new kids on the block. With a 2-0 record to start the year, the Quakers - who don't have a single senior on their roster - have relied on crafty shot- making and solid play in goal to try to improve over last year's 8-5-3 finish.

With only a 6-2 whooping by Seton Hall on its record so far, now's a good time for the men's soccer team to make a statement. Penn (0-1-0) will get its chance when it heads to the West Coast to knock heads with No.

The Penn Field Hockey team is three games into its 2007 campaign. But after this start, they'd rather the season started tomorrow. The Quakers (0-3) will visit Harvard (1-1) in both teams' first Ivy League matchup of the year. "This is our season," coach Val Cloud said.

The first serve of the volleyball season for Penn is set for 7:30 tonight as the Quakers take on Seton Hall in the first matchup of the Seton Hall tournament. The Red and Blue will also face Stony Brook and Fairfield during the two-day event. Seton Hall enters the tournament as the strongest competitor, with a 4-3 record on the season.

The difference between this year's and last year's women's volleyball team is night and day, according to coach Kerry Carr. And the difference is the incoming freshmen, who in many ways compose the strongest recruiting class that Penn has had in years.

Eventually growing to 6-foot-1, Julia Swanson was meant to be an athlete. The only question for the freshman was: in which sport? "I used to play basketball," said Swanson. "I love how [volleyball is] really intense and so fun, but still feminine. I used to play basketball, but I didn't feel girly and that turned me off.

For some of you freshmen new to Penn sports, there is something you should know: There's more to the Quakers than winning and losing, Ivy League championship seasons and the ever-turning coaching carousel. There is still, and always will be, the enthralling world of fantasy sports.

The Penn field hockey team seemingly outplayed St. Joseph's last night, especially in the second half. The Quakers led in shots (14-10, including 8-2 after the break), corners (8-4, including 5-1 in the second frame) and assists. The Hawks won the only statistical battle that mattered.

The Hawks worked steadily against the Penn defense. After a deflection, Saint Joseph's forward Marisa Pizzi found herself open with the ball. She buried her shot in the back of the net and scored what proved to be their game-winning goal. Or did she? Quakers coach Val Cloud didn't think so.