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.

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.