Penn women's lacrosse coach Karin Brower has never had a winning record in Ancient Eight play. Yet under her helm, the team has drastically improved, going 3-4 last year in Ivy League play from 1-6 in her first year, 1999. This season, however, there is not only talk of a winning Ivy record but of an Ancient Eight crown. "We've got a very tough schedule but we're ready for it," fourth-year coach Brower said. "Our goal is to win the Ivies and to go to the NCAA tournament. To be the best, you've got to play the best." Last year Princeton wrapped up the title with a perfect 7-0 Ivy record -- the Tigers are ranked No. 19 in the College Coaches-Computer Ranking, behind No. 6 Cornell and No. 9 Dartmouth. "All of our Ivy games are really huge this year because we believe the Ivies are wide open," senior co-captain Whitney Horton said. Yet winning will not be easy, as Penn will face its toughest schedule in program history, playing half of its 16 games against top-20 competition. After a 7-8 campaign overall last season, the Quakers return an experienced squad, graduating just two four-year starters from 2002. "It's our most experienced team since I've been here," Brower said. "Our biggest strength is probably the core group of competitors," Brower said. "It's a group that doesn't want to settle, a group that wants to win and has been working really hard and wants to prove something this year." Penn will be anchored by its six seniors -- Christy Bennett, Crissy Book, Alaina Harper, Horton, Kate Murray and Alison Polk-Williams. "The senior class is a very competitive group," Brower said. "They put in all the work that was needed to get this team where it is now. I'm excited for all six of them to do well." Horton, a co-captain along with Bennett, applauds her fellow seniors for sticking with the team for all four years. "We have seen a lot of change in the program and have all stuck with it," she said. "We have the same goals and visions of the coaching staff and this year we look to achieve those goals." Last year's leading scorer with 34 goals and 37 points, Book was a third-team All-American member as well as a first-team All-Ivy and Mid-Atlantic All-America selection. "She's obviously a great player for us to have," Brower said of her talented midfielder. Bennett will be expected to anchor the defensive unit, after her selection to both the Mid-Atlantic All-American and second-team All-Ivy teams last season. Junior Lindsey Cassidy -- who moved upfield from defense in 2002 -- will also be counted on for continued success this season after her selection as honorable mention All-Ivy in last year's campaign. "Lindsey has been a huge, huge player for us lately," Brower said. Another junior expected to play a significant role on the team this season is attacker Chelsea Kaden. "Chelsea is someone who's finally starting this year and coming into her own," Brower said. Brower also has high expectations for the sophomores, her first recruiting class as head coach. "They're not freshmen anymore, which is nice," she said. "They are an extremely strong class and they're playing like they're upperclassmen." Finally, there's the newcomers to the team -- the freshman class. "Our freshman class is really strong," Horton said. "They are just learning how to play with us." One rookie expected to contribute is midfielder Emily Cochran. "She could get a lot of playing time this year," Brower said. A duo of newcomers -- Kate Parker and Lauren McDermott -- will be expected to solidify the defense along with captain Bennett. The Quakers will be led in goal by senior Harper, yet Brower noted that sophomore keeper Liz Lorelli -- also a star on the Penn field hockey team -- will "see a lot of time this year." In order to have this success, Brower believes that the team must become just a little more confident. "The biggest thing for us is really truly believing that we can win," she said. "The team's saying it and the coaches believe it, but it's about taking that field believing they can win."
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