Quakers hope to slay Dragons

A win.

That is what Penn's field hockey team coach Val Cloud expects from her team in today's season opener against West Philly neighbor Drexel at 7 p.m. at Franklin Field.

After starting off the 2001 campaign a disappointing 0-5, the Quakers were able to finish strong and pull their record to a more respectable mark of 6-11. That included a 4-3 record in the Ivy League, Penn's first winning conference record since 1998.

Despite coming off their best season in recent memory, the Quakers will be looking to do even better this year.

"This is the best preseason that we have had since I started coaching here," Cloud said. "All of our starters are healthy and looking good going into the seasons start."

Keeping healthy will be a key component in Penn's success, but even more important than that will be the Quakers' need to score goals -- a point that they struggled with last season.

After averaging less than two goals a game and being outscored, 38-23, last year, it is no surprise to anyone that the offense will have to improve in order for the Red and Blue to win games.

"We need to score more goals this year," Cloud said. "After having good success in the Ivy League last year, we are going into the season confident that we can get the job done."

A good amount of the pressure for the offense to produce will fall on the able shoulders of Kylee Jakobowski.

And coming off a season in which she was named All-Ivy, Jakobowski will also be getting more help this year.

Assisting Jakobowski on the offensive side of the ball will be sophomore Liz Lorelli.

Coming off a freshman season in which she finished third on the team with eight points, big things are expected from Lorelli.

"We feel our team is a lot more balanced this year," Cloud said. "The offense has looked really good so far during the preseason."

Facing off against Drexel may be exactly what the Quakers need to get off on the right foot.

In three games so far this season Drexel (1-2) has allowed 10 goals to slip by their defense.

Despite their porous defense, Drexel has managed to salvage one win through their first three games, beating Bucknell, 4-3, in the opener. The Dragons two losses were to Maryland and Villanova.

The defense will be tested throughout by Drexel's senior leaders -- Kristina Backenstose and Kristina Burbich.

Backenstose has three goals, and seven points, while Burbich has two goals and five points.

The Red and Blue will have to be strong on both sides of the ball if they hope to reverse last year's early season misfortunes. However, both the coaches and the players alike are anxiously awaiting tomorrow's game, looking toward their first chance to try and show that last year's run was no fluke, but rather just a glimpse of the success to come.

In Sunday's game, the Quakers will open their Ivy League season when they host Harvard at noon.

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