They've been to Australia and back. And now they're hopping mad.

The members of the Harvard field hockey team won't allow the Crimson to be classified as a stereotypical, semi-mediocre Harvard sport. The team wants goals, wins and national respect.

The Harvard field hockey team is also coming off a 6-9 season (3-3 Ivy). That contradiction doesn't seem to bother anyone.

"Last year we didn't have a lot of options--we were just able to do fundamentals," Harvard coach Sue Caples said. "[This year] we have a lot of things to throw at teams. People have to work hard to get playing time."

Yes, players on a team that was outscored 36-21 in 1994 will have to work hard to get in games. Harvard's on an upswing, and those that don't buy it will get knocked aside.

Consider the Crimson's trip to Australia after Commencement this summer. The players worked hard to raise funds in the spring, and they spent a week and a half scrimmaging against six Aussie teams.

Caples went as far as to schedule a morning practice before the flight left in the afternoon.

Why not squeeze in the extra session? So what if everyone's going to cramp up for the mega-long flight? When a team strives for an Al Davisian commitment to excellence, a few simple pleasures--like guaranteed playing time--have to go.

The question is, exactly how much excellence will there actually be?

Well, almost certainly more than last year. There was only one senior lost from the '94 team, sweeper Megan Colligan. In Australia, Colligan taught the intricacies of the position to sophomore Beck Stringer--who missed most of last season with a broken foot--and Harvard should be pretty solid there.

Other that, the team is intact. Co-captain Carrie Shumway, who led the Ivy League in scoring last year, will anchor the midfield play. A converted back that can rack up points, Shumway can control the entire field and is certainly a candidate for Player of the Year.

Harvard has other players with multifaceted games. Stringer will be allowed to press upfield if the situation calls for it, and senior Maureen O'Brien and junior Courtenay Benedict are both midfielders that will also lead attacks.

There are also some specialty players. Junior Daphne Clark can blast corner shots all day, and sophomores Sally Romano and Eileen Horwath paired up as the starting left and right backs in 1994. This year, Romano may move to center back to make room for freshman Tara La Sovage.

The other important field players will be forwards Melanie Allen (senior), Jen Bowdoin (sophomore), Liz Schoyer (junior) and Amy DiMarzio (sophomore).

So with the experience, the scoring should increase--but that wasn't the main problem last year. What caused more losses than anything else was the defense.