For Penn field hockey, a result like Tuesday night’s beat-down of Drexel was anything but imperative.

A short memory can be a useful tool in the sporting world. And as Penn field hockey readies itself for a crosstown match with Drexel this Wednesday, a little forgetfulness will go a long way.

Another overtime game, another conference win for Penn field hockey. For the third Ivy League game in a row, the Quakers needed overtime to get the result they wanted, this time making Dartmouth the victims of their extra time heroics, winning 3-2 in incredible fashion. Penn (9-1, 3-0 Ivy) dominated the first half, out-shooting Dartmouth (4-6, 0-3) 16-4 by the end of the period.

Penn field hockey rode another exceptional Alexa Hoover performance to its eighth win of the season, toppling Lafayette, 5-0, in a midweek non-conference matchup at Vagelos Field.

For Penn field hockey, the plan is pretty simple: find a way to win Ivy contests, even when those results don’t come easy. And sitting on a 7-1 record with two wins in conference, that is exactly what it has done.

Make it seven in a row for Penn field hockey. Entering their match on Saturday on a six-game winning streak, the Quakers went head-to-head with Ivy League opponent Harvard up in Cambridge, Mass., and came out on top, 2-1, in an intense overtime contest. The first half proved to be challenging for the Red and Blue (7-1, 2-0 Ivy) as they were initially forced onto the defensive.

As Penn field hockey has demonstrated this year, having star players is nice, but it takes a full team to win.

Penn football’s recent upset victory over Villanova — the program’s first in more than 100 years — has sent tremors throughout the Penn Athletics community.

They say defense wins championships. But while its too early to talk about championships for Penn field hockey after only one Ivy League contest, it looks like the team’s offense is ready to prove this well-known maxim wrong. After losing to Liberty on the first day of the 2015 season, the Quakers’ attack has been nothing short of unstoppable in the three weeks since.

This past weekend marked the first time in 2015 that each of the Red and Blue's fall sports teams were in action.

The fall season may still be quite young for Penn Athletics, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been any surprises. So now, with most Red and Blue teams having gotten their seasons under way, we take the opportunity to talk about the squads that have made us reconsider our preseason expectations.

Penn field hockey will be back in action for its second weekend of play when the Red and Blue take on intracity opponents St. Joseph’s and Temple on Friday and Sunday.

And they’re off.

Starting off as a college athlete presents a unique set of challenges. While all new students deal with classic struggles such as meeting new friends and figuring out which classes can knock out the most requirements at once, varsity athletes have to balance their academics and social lives with early morning practices and long weekend road trips.

For many of Penn’s fall sports teams, there exists the recurring theme that youth plays a key role.

In a year marked by attrition and adversity, the Quakers fought hard for their 8-9 record in 2014. And this leaves the Red and Blue in a situation both exciting and precarious looking towards 2015, a year which could reasonably be marked by either further struggles or breakthrough.

And so it begins. Penn field hockey will kick off its 2015 campaign this weekend as it travels to Virginia to battle Liberty on Friday before facing Longwood Sunday afternoon. “You’re always going to have that.