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Rider’s stifling defense kept the Red and Blue (3-2) out of goalkeeper Alicia Carthan’s cage altogether, putting an end to a streak of four games with two scores or more for the Quakers.
Penn, which has already scored 16 goals through four games, will host Rider at Franklin Field on Wednesday night and look to avenge last season’s 7-1 loss to the Broncs.
But despite less-than-ideal conditions, Fink and her team have only prevailed.
In 2011, Penn went 3-14 on the season. Four games into 2012, the Quakers have three wins and more goals than they had in their first 12 outings last year.
With just two matches under their belts, the Quakers are already 2-0 and off to their best start since 1997 after defeating Lehigh and Towson in a pair of weekend games at Franklin Field.
On Tuesday, Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky announced he would be installing an AstroTurf field in the Penn Park space between the tennis courts and the South Street Bridge.
In a short two-month span, the Red and Blue went from a 7-0 opening loss to American to playing powerhouse Princeton to a tie for most of the season’s final game.
Against the six-time defending Ivy champs, the Red and Blue were the ultimate underdog against Princeton — and they went the distance. The fact that the Quakers ultimately lost, 3-0, almost doesn’t matter
Friday night at Franklin Field, Penn has a chance to play spoiler in its season finale against Princeton, whose top four players have taken a leave of absence this season to play with the U.S. National Olympic Team.
A problem Penn often faces when it travels to play a team with an AstroTurf field is that it needs to practice on AstroTurf, the default playing surface in Division I field hockey. Unfortunately for the Quakers, Franklin Field is composed of Sprinturf.
On Friday, the fell to Columbia, 5-1, in New York. Two days later, however, they came out firing against Appalachian State at Franklin Field to win, 5-2.
With eight freshmen on the roster this season, the Penn field hockey team had an uncertain outlook. Its freshmen, however, may have provided the largest contribution of any class so far this year.
Caroline Olt, a senior and co-captain, and her sister, Olivia, a sophomore, both describe their relationship as “very close.” Two years ago, when Olivia was being recruited to play college field hockey, the choice was clear.