F. Hockey: Desperately Seeking Guns

Bullet-proof vests aren't cheap. Some cost as much as $350.

But freshman field hockey goalie Jessica Milhollin may have been shopping for one this week.

Not that the normal hockey pads she wears aren't tough. She just may need some extra protection this weekend.

Milhollin and the Harvard field hockey team face 18th ranked Pennsylvania today at Cumnock field, and the Quakers (5-10 overall, 1-0-0 Ivy) often look more like a firing squad than a bunch of old men in funny hats on cereal boxes.

The Crimson (1-3-0, 0-1-0) did not score a single goal in its last two matches, and goes into today's contest with a three-game losing streak around its neck.

Harvard's players and coaches all agree that the match promises nothing but blood, toil, tears and sweat.

"We expect a really tough Ivy battle," Harvard Assistant Coach Donna Lee said.

But the Crimson may need to dig trenches in the middle of Cumnock Field in order to slow down the blazing Quaker offense.

Penn is led by sophomore midfielder Amy Pine who has unleashed 34 shots from her stick this season, collecting five goals and four assists.

Pine, the Ivy player of the week, has ample support as well. Five other Quakers have two points, and the team has netted a total of 13 goals this season.

"Penn has been scoring a lot of goals," Harvard Coach Sue Caples said. "They have speed and power on the front line and can get the ball in the net."

Possession Is Key

The Crimson defensive line has to find some way to diffuse the Quaker attack and, in the process, help Harvard's offense with that all important key to most sports--possession.

Caples said she is confident her team will be able to keep up with Penn's offense.

"We have speed of our own," Caples said. "And we want to make others worry about what we do. Its just a question of being able to pull the trigger."

So far this season, the Crimson has not challenged many teams with its offense, and so the question looms: why has been Harvard been so trigger shy?

"We have a lot of young faces on this team," Lee said. "We need more people to step up and take more responsibility. It's just going to take a little time."

It will also take time for Harvard to rebuild its confidence. "We have now lost three games, and we have to work on keeping morale high," Davies said.

A win over the Quakers would certainly be good for morale. But, for the long term, the Crimson needs to wake up its sleeping offense.

Or else, it could put an ad in the paper: "Wanted--Hired Guns."