During Saturday's game with Rutgers, the Penn field hockey team had trouble winning loose-ball battles. The Quakers were consistently one step behind the Scarlet Knights, and it showed, resulting it a frustrating 4-2 loss.
Coach Val Cloud set out to remedy the problem in this week's practices, and the Red and Blue (1-1) will be immediately tested, as they host a speedy Saint Joseph's squad tonight at Franklin Field.
"St. Joe's is quick to get to the ball and has really fast stick skills," senior forward Nina Ferrier said. "So we're going to have to make sure we get to the ball before they do."
Fitness won't be the Quakers' problem, as they reported to training camp in great shape. Cloud thinks it's mostly in their heads.
"The anticipation, I think, leads to the hustle and what you need there to be aggressive," she said on Sunday.
In contrast to the Hawks' style, Penn's game is more about finesse and communication, so tonight's game may turn out to be a battle of tempo and philosophy.
"We connect on the field, we talk, we pass well, and then we ultimately finish in the circle," Ferrier said of her team at its best.
But the end result isn't always a goal. The Quakers are looking to improve on finishing when they find themselves in the circle, capitalizing on more scoring opportunities.
That's why Penn isn't satisfied with its first and only win on the young season, a 2-0 shutout on Friday night against St. Francis.
"We should've won by more, had more goals," said Ferrier, who has been the Quakers' main source of offense. She was responsible for two of Penn's four goals last weekend.
Part of the problem lies in communication. Penn's juniors spent most of last season on the bench watching their older, more experienced teammates on the field. This year, after eight seniors graduated, it's their turn. But there has definitely been a learning curve.
"The team is getting used to each other," Cloud said yesterday. "We haven't gotten there yet."
St. Joe's, which has beaten Penn in each of the past two years, hasn't had much offensive trouble so far this season, outscoring opponents 9-4 in its first three games. Two Hawks players, junior Kellie Walter and senior Marisa Pizzi, have already scored three goals apiece.
To contain them, the Quakers will look to continue their strategy from Saturday's second half, when their press stifled Rutgers' attack and helped them maintain ball possession.
"We caused them a lot more turnovers when we actually worked together as a team, in terms of really pressing their defense," senior co-captain Margaretha Ehret said on Sunday.
"So I think in practice, that will be a key to work on, because if we can keep the ball in our attacking 50, that is clearly an advantage.
*This article was corrected at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008. We inadvertently referred to the Rutgers field hockey team as the Red Flash. Its athletic teams are actually known as the Scarlet Knights.
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