The saying goes: offense wins games and defense wins championships.

Somewhere in that mix is the element of team chemistry, and the Penn State field hockey team has enough of it to make even Niels Bohr impressed.

On and off the field, the Nittany Lions have developed a special relationship that has helped them start off the season 7-0.

"It started last January," said senior back Kate Bender. "We just spent a lot of time together."

The field hockey team was able to spend a lot of quality time with each other when they went to Spain to compete in a tournement this summer.

Bender, one of the team's leaders, said that there is a balance between head coach Char Morett's supervision and the responsibility of the seniors on the team to formulate a winning chemistry.

"Char lets herself into the equation," she said. "There's a huge trust there."

Morett makes it simple.

Once a player is on the team, she has to live in the dorms for two years with other teammates.

This allows the sophomore members to play the role of "big sister" for the freshmen, but more importantly, start to bring everyone together.

"Whether you are a freshman or a senior, you're equal," said junior Heather Conroy. "Everyone is treated as an individual."

Conroy, another of the field hockey team's leaders, stressed that the equality among teammates is an integral part to the team's success.

"We were freshmen once," she said.

Building the team's chemistry is not always done on the field.

In fact, most of it is done off the field.

Some nights, the team goes over to one house to order pizza and watch American Idol.

They talk about classes and problems with boyfriends too.

"Getting to know each other off the field creates a friendship that you can bring on the field," Bender said.

Either way, the night before a game, the entire team eats dinner at the dorms.

Another key factor in the field hockey team's relationship is effective and open commnication.

"Trouble happens when there is lack of communication between upper and lower classmen," Bender said.

"I know there's not a single girl on the team who doesn't have the same goal as me."

The goal is simple -- a national championship.