Nine days ago, Penn field hockey coach Val Cloud said she was "at wit's end." Her players couldn't avoid slow starts, so she suggested putting a bomb under them. Since then, the Quakers have dropped two more games, managing just one goal in the process. So Cloud has a new idea.

Penn fans might best remember Norries Wilson for his "11-on-18" rant about the officiating during Penn's 16-0 victory over the Lions two years ago. But this weekend, when a penalty flag went flying during a Fordham punt, Wilson knew the blame lay 100 percent with him.

For as long as senior associate director of athletics Alanna Shanahan can remember, one person was in charge of marketing Penn's 33 varsity teams. And in her words: "I don't think we've had great success." So Shanahan became the impetus for change this summer, helping the Athletic Department broker a deal with Nelligan Sports Marketing, a firm that has worked with numerous schools, atheletic conference and Fortune 500 companies.

All eyes were on Robert Irvin on Saturday during the first quarter of Penn's matchup against Villanova, and it's not hard to imagine why. Behind the strength of his arm, the senior was named starter as a sophomore, but injuries and more injuries prevented him from entrenching himself as the man under center.

A freshman won his flight in the tournament. A transfer defeated a starter on a likely top-20 team. A doubles team sliced through the field.

Villanova 20, Penn 14. There isn't much else to say that hasn't been said, because this is old news, old emotion, painful cliche, all of it. Penn Football has lost a game in overtime. Another one. Since 2006, the Quakers have played in 21 games, losing five of them in overtime and nine of them in the last few plays.

Looks like the Penn women's soccer team has finally gotten opposing defenses to - ahem - "open up." The Quakers' drive back from the nation's capital may have been accompanied by thoughts of their failure to bring home a win. But head Coach Darren Ambrose and his players certainly have made some offensive breakthroughs this weekend - right through some of the toughest defenses

When the Quakers blocked an extra point in the first overtime on Friday, they sensed that a victory over Villanova - one that had eluded them since 1911 - might finally be within their grasp. But moments later, Bradford Blackmon's grip wasn't strong enough.

They were looking for a blank slate, a new beginning. Instead, the players on the Penn field hockey team produced a another slow start in their 3-1 loss to Cornell on Saturday in both teams' Ivy League opener. "We were looking at [the conference season] like a new season," said freshman Abigail Egan, wProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0

It just keeps going and going and going. Drew Healy extended his shutout streak to a Penn-record 590 minutes as the Quakers (4-0-2) tied an inspired Buffalo 0-0 on Friday night and routed hapless Mercer 6-0 yesterday afternoon, claiming the Penn Soccer Classic title - their third tournament victory in as many attempts.

According to junior Anne Magnuson, defense is the key to success for Penn volleyball. "When our defense is on, we're on" she said. Fortunately for the Quakers, their defense was on this weekend, as the team earned three wins in four attempts, improving their record to 4-5.

Football is a game of quick decisions. Punt or go for it? Kick the point after or go for two? Keep it or pitch it? Few split-second calls, however, will have as lasting an impact as the one Villanova coach Andy Talley made Saturday evening, when he replaced struggling quarterback Antwon Young with sophomore backup Chris Whitney in the fourth quarter.

Preseason Ivy No. 1 (tied with Yale) Harvard needed a late comeback to beat Holy Cross at home Friday night, 25-24. The Crimson's senior quarterback, Chris Pizzotti, threw for 370 yards and one touchdown. More importantly, he led Harvard (1-0%

A coach brings in Kyle Olson to inject life into a suspect passing game. That may not sound familiar to Penn fans, but it's old news to Tim Byrnes, head coach at Fullerton Junior College. Olson first donned the blue and white for the Hornets in August 2006.

After 70 minutes against Cornell last season, the Penn field hockey team was heading for overtime and teetering on the brink of a 1-5 start. But Kathryn Rose deflected a penalty-corner shot into the net and with it, the Quakers' season back into Ivy League relevance.

I know what you're thinking. After the release of a college fantasy football game that uses the real names of student-athletes, what else can we do to make a profit off the blood and sweat of unpaid college kids? With that, the second-annual Penn football official bettors' guide is here to advise you in all of your Ivy League football gambling endeavors.

Penn has endured many heartbreaking losses since senior linebacker and defensive captain Jay Colabella first arrived in West Philadelphia four summers ago. But perhaps no losses have been more frustrating than the ones at the hands of the Quakers' cross-town rival, Villanova.