The bond between two sisters is unlike any other. They are friends, confidants and role models. But teammates?

That is the case for four Penn State field hockey players this season. Senior Annelise Legel and freshman Laura Cahill both have sisters who played for Penn State. And junior Erica Hoffsmith and freshman Brooke Hoffsmith have the chance to play together this year.

There have been several pairs of sisters to come through the Penn State program. Besides some similarities, Penn State coach Char Morett said, she tries to treat every player as an individual regardless of family history.

"When you get them here, you just treat every player differently," Morett said. "You're coaching each player differently. You have the same rules, but for the most part you don't look at them as sisters. Sometimes you just call them the wrong name."

As freshmen, players are expected to follow their captains and watch and learn as much as they can. For Annelise Legel, one of her captains during her freshman year in 2003 happened to be her sister Timarie. What could have been an uncomfortable situation actually helped Annelise in the long run.

"The year we played together, I felt like she was harder on me than other people because she could be," Annelise said. "She could demand more of me than any other seniors would. She knew how to get it from me. I feel like that helped me that year. She helped me get through that transition phase."

Besides their height, the Legel sisters also shared the forward position and goal-scoring abilities. Timarie netted 58 goals in her collegiate career to place her at 5th in career goals at Penn State. She finished her career with All-America and All-Mideast Region honors from 2001-2003. Annelise is a co-captain this season and has scored 21 goals so far at Penn State.

Like Annelise, Laura's older sister Sara was a team captain with several accolades. Sara finished her career last season with second-team All-Big Ten, and All-Mideast and All-America honors. Laura has been able to benefit from her sister's experience in the Penn State back line.

"My sister is like my biggest supporter," Laura said. "She went through it. She knows what I'm going through and how I feel. It's nice to have someone that can relate."

Although Annelise and Laura have sisters that were once a big part of the team, it is seen as a benefit more than a distraction.

"They may feel [pressure]," Morett said. "I think both of them are extremely proud of their sisters. Both of their sisters set a high standard for them to achieve. I think that has been a big motivator for them."

Erica and Brooke Hoffsmith are the only sisters that are both playing this season. It is the second time that two sisters are playing together in the past four years, since the Legels did in 2003. There have been times that both Hoffsmiths have been on the field, but it's nothing new for them.

"We played both field hockey and soccer together in high school, and this summer we became so close just because she's my teammate now," Erica said of her younger sister. "I love having her here, it's fun.

"I joke around with Brooke and tell her I taught her everything she knows. She has nasty skills, and I'm like 'Oh yeah, I taught her that.' "

By going to her sister's games before starting her own college career, Brooke came into the season with a familiarity to the team. This experience seems to be the reason that there are so many tandems of sisters at Penn State.

"It's just been interesting because I think that we are a very family-oriented team," Morett said. "I think Penn State athletics goes along the same lines. I think when the first sister comes along, the parents see the atmosphere that we have here and the program. They feel good and confident that their previous daughter had, so they'd want to send another one. It says a lot about the program."

Watching a sister play for that Penn State program can be a happy moment for any field hockey player. Unless you have already been there, that is. When Timarie graduated, she wanted to support her sister, but her feelings of nostalgia took over.

"Last year, she couldn't bring herself to come to the games because she missed it so much, and she wanted to be here so bad," Annelise said. "It was a struggle for her last year, but this year she'll send me these crazy texts before the game."

One thing that all four sisters agree on is the benefit of having a sibling who went through the same thing at one point or another.

With Annelise, her sister was able to push her more than anyone in order to improve her game. Laura has had a lot of playing time this season, and Sara's advice could only be an advantage. For the Hoffsmiths, it's reassuring to know there is someone on the team that they know inside and out.

"It's comforting to know that she's here," Erica said. "I feel like I can look out for her a little bit. But honestly, once I get on the field, it gets down to business. It's not like it's my sister I'm having a drill with, it's my teammate."