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The months and days since Penn played its last game on March 7, 2020 — a back-and-forth 19-15 loss to Loyola — were full of uncertainty.

The Ivy League was the first of all the college conferences to call off its spring season due to the coronavirus pandemic, and by September, months later, it had still yet to resume any form of competition for its fall and winter sports. That, plus the university remaining all-virtual for the fall, meant the Quakers weren’t able to practice together, use facilities or meet in any group settings outside of Zoom all through December.

It’s been a hard, challenging road for a Penn team that was on pace for a strong 2020 season before its campaign was cut short. The summer also saw the departure of two of its most prolific players: 2019 Ivy League Midfielder of the Year Erin Barry and star attacker Gabby Rosenzweig, the program’s all-time points leader who has since transferred to Duke. 

That pair combined for 25 of the Quakers’ 69 goals in 2020. In her standout 2019 season that earned her a Tewaaraton nomination, Rosenzweig accounted for more than half of the team’s assists. Replacing that kind of creation and consistency isn’t an easy task, especially without a traditional fall of practice and preparation, but coach Karin Corbett said the group returning in 2021 is up for the challenge.

“We had such great leadership by our seniors (in 2020), and that tone they set for hard work and competitiveness in every drill at practice, we’ve got to bring that forward,” Corbett said. “It gives our now-seniors a lot to look at and to reflect on and remember.”

All-Ivy attacker Zoe Belodeau is among that group of now-seniors guiding the Quakers into 2021, with memories of the five-game slate in 2020 still fresh in mind. One of three captains, alongside midfielder Abby Bosco and defender Liz Smith, Belodeau has been an integral part of Penn’s offensive attack the last few seasons, scoring 95 goals and winning 172 draws since 2018.

“Zoe’s a clutch type of player. She scores some big goals for us, and her challenge will be that her biggest assister [Rosenzweig] is gone,” Corbett said. “Trying to create more connections with other kids will be really important for her.”

She won’t have to worry about a shortage of options. Three of the Quakers’ other top six scorers will return in 2021. Michaela McMahon and Taylyn Stadler combined for 17 goals as sophomore starters in 2020, and Caitlin Cook added seven off the bench as a freshman.

Penn hopes to start its formal preseason training back up again in Philadelphia on February 1 — although no one is quite sure what will happen with the Ivy League at this point. By then, it’ll have been nearly a year since the Quakers opened their 2020 season with an emphatic 17-6 win over a ranked Georgetown team.

Like much of the Ivy League, they’ll take the field with a mix of returning and new faces. Corbett’s enthusiastic about the group of nine freshmen Penn brought in this fall, but the Quakers are looking forward to their return to the field, whenever it comes.

“There’s a lot of big shoes to fill,” Corbett said. “But I also think it’s an opportunity for some of the younger kids to step into those roles and try to become big players and leaders, and that’s always exciting.”

TOP RETURNERS

Zoe Belodeau, A, Sr.

Belodeau is a three-year starter who brings the most scoring experience to this Penn attack. She had a breakout freshman season in 2017, setting both program and league records in a number of categories, including the most points (80) and draw controls (103) by a rookie. She’s won All-Ivy honors in each of her two full seasons and totaled eight goals and 12 draw controls in the shortened 2020 campaign.

Abby Bosco, M, Sr.

Like Belodeau, Bosco has owned a starting spot for the Quakers each of the last three seasons. She’s one of Penn’s most talented all-around players. She scored 18 goals and won 63 draw controls but has shined even since shifting more to the defensive end, leading the Quakers in ground balls two seasons in a row. Corbett called Bosco the “unsung hero” of this Penn team.

Liv Smith, D, Sr.

An Under Armour All-American out of high school, Smith missed her freshman season with an ACL injury, but since then has impressed as a defensive leader in Philadelphia. She started all five games for the Quakers in 2020, tallying nine ground balls and causing at least one turnover in each matchup. Penn is excited to have her back in full swing in 2021.

KEY ADDITION

Lexi Edmonds, A, Fr.

Edmonds was a high-powered scorer and one of the top high school players in New Jersey through three seasons at Immaculate Heart. She scored 83 goals and added 84 draw controls as a junior and won a pair of state sectional titles. At 5-foot-11, she’s the tallest player on the Quakers’ roster and will likely add a new dimension to their offensive attack.

ENEMY LINES

“Penn is just so disciplined. They have a veteran coach who I think knows how to get the most out of her team and players. I think obviously they lost some players to COVID-19 and those players had to leave,m but I think Penn will just keep reloading and restocking. I think their biggest thing is, there’s no one position you worry about with Penn. They are so balanced across the board. They always have a tough defense, they always have a good goalkeeper and then it travels all the way through to their offense. They are so trained and well-coached and always prepared when they come into top games. I think Penn will always be a tough opponent.” 

“I think Penn will be just as aggressive and intense and playing with that tenacity they had before. They have everyone back, so they’ll be as competitive as they always were. They have strengths all over the field. They’re always aggressive to the net and looking to push the ball and play fast. Defensively, they’re aggressive as well.” 

NUMBERS GAME

50.7

Krissy Kowalski’s save percentage as a sophomore in 2020, good for 12th-best in the country. Mikaila Cheeseman was a second-team All-Ivy staple in net for Penn for two seasons but missed the last campaign with an injury and has since graduated. Kowalski showed promise through four games last spring, sharing time with freshman Kelly Van Housen.