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.

Ouch. As if Penn's kicking game needed more question marks. Freshmen Trevor Charlston and Dave Kuncio, along with sophomore A.J. Nobile have suffered setbacks in recent practices, coach Al Bagnoli said yesterday. Nonetheless, Nobile - who has never kicked for Penn - has emerged as the frontrunner.

Even though the scoreboard read 2-0 for Seton Hall after the first half last night, Penn men's soccer coach Rudy Fuller "was looking forward to the second half." Unfortunately for him, he got more than he bargained for. The Pirates (2-0-0) netted four more goals in the latter 45 minutes to blow the Quakers (0-1-0) away 6-2 in their season opener in South Orange, N.

There was a moment, perhaps no more than two seconds long, when Penn's fate seemed to literally hang in the balance during its 4-1 win over Robert Morris on Sunday at Rhodes Field. In the 55th minute, the Quakers were clinging to a 1-0 lead that by all accounts should have been larger.

They're not exactly the Oregon Ducks, but the Penn football team's uniforms have a slightly less conservative look this year. Nike has designed some of the most outrageous gear for college teams. But in the past few years the uniforms designed for Penn have been as simple as possible.

Field hockey goalie Alanna Butera had only seen action in two games over two years, but after honorable mention All-Ivy goalie Liz Schlossberg graduated, the starting job was essentially bequeathed to her. So when Penn (0-2) takes on St. Joseph's (0-2) tonight, the pressure to perform is on the junior keeper.

Rudy Fuller has a coach's problem. There are three goalkeepers on his roster: freshman Ben Berg, sophomore Kevin Sweetland and junior Drew Healy. Before the team's game against Seton Hall on Monday, none had ever played in college soccer.

A bold statement that this is the "best talent" she's ever had came from thirteenth-year field hockey coach Val Cloud, who has coached 33 All-Ivy selections and the 2005 champions. Despite the lofty goal of climbing back to the top of the Ancient Eight, Cloud was quick to point out that a title is far from an easy task.

For a program that has won 12 Ivy League championships in the last 25 years, two consecutive losing seasons has the distinct feel of a slump.

The Quakers knew the injuries would come and that they wouldn't be pleasant. But for a team with no seniors, a disabled list that had grown three regulars deep by sunset on the first day of preseason has been a tricky hole to fill. Women's soccer coach Darren Ambrose detailed on Tuesday the offseason ailments of Allison Rosenbloom (chronic illness, which caused her to retire) Allyson Gordon (anterior cruciate ligament), and Marisa Stock (second ACL) that meant they would be out for the forseeable future.

When former men's golf coach Rob Powelson resigned earlier this summer, the decision about who would fill the vacancy was simple, according to Penn director of golf Francis Vaughn. Already the women's coach, Vaughn himself would take over the head coaching duties of the men's program as well.

Division I basketball saw an unusually large number of transfers this year, and the Ivy League in general seemed to be fertile ground for new players. Penn just didn't get in on the party. Brian Grimes, a rising sophomore at La Salle and a 6-foot-7 forward, elected to transfer early on in the summer and, Explorers coach John Giannini told the media, had winnowed his list down to Penn and Columbia.

Not too long ago, wide-eyed freshmen had a virtual guarantee, known if not spoken: Play football for Penn and an Ivy title ring will be yours. Nick Cisler saw that reality. He wanted to play for Penn - to win - so much that he swore off football near his Michigan home for the northeastern, non-scholarship brand.

With 52 years of fencing under his belt, Penn coach Dave Micahnik is more than just a fixture in the sport - he is an all-time great. And he is finally being recognized for this as the United States Fencing Association elected him for induction into the Hall of Fame earlier this summer.

Rudy Fuller isn't on the NCAA's rules committee. Too bad. This was the year for the men's soccer coach to push a rule change: Juniors only. Penn has 12, and Fuller could field a competitive team with them.

With 24 athletes on this year's squad, every men's soccer player will have to fight for a place on the field. But no one needs it more than Drew Healy. Like goalkeepers in many college sports, Healy - who's never played in a game before - is a victim of circumstance.

Reeling back her leg and sending ball after ball high into the air, Kylie Mitchell would watch it arc towards the target. But as the ball sailed over the crossbar, her teammates wouldn't grumble; they'd cheer. Many of Mitchell's exploits haven't come on the soccer field - she doubled as a varsity football kicker at Carman-Ainsworth High School in Michigan for three years.