This fall, the field hockey team has “got a feeling” and the Black Eyed Peas make this loud and clear when the adopted theme song of the season plays before the Red takes the field.

Cornell began the 2009 campaign with the strongest record in its program’s history by staying unbeaten for the entire month of September.

While the Red enjoyed a long uninterrupted chain of successes, like most teams, it was forced to face the harsh reality that you can’t win them all. Yale defeated Cornell, 1-0, on Saturday and in doing so, handed the Red its sole loss of the season.

“It was disappointing in a few ways, but we are pushing forward and only looking back at Yale in terms of what we can learn from it,” said senior midfield Katie Kirnan.

Unlike in past years, the Ivy League is swelling with talent and competition is fierce as all of the Ancient Eight teams are evenly matched.

“I noticed this year that all of the Ivies are on the same level,” said junior midfielder Mattie Prodanovic. “Even though we didn’t play our best game against Yale, we were still in it every step of the way. We can beat anyone on any given day. It is hard because there is no Ivy game that we can ever overlook.”

For playing in such a tough league, the Red is performing well above par. Of the three Cornell athletes who were recipients of Ivy League Player of the Week honors at this point in the fall, two are field hockey players. Last week, junior attack Catie De Stio was recognized with the award for her multi-goal efforts in the Red wins over Penn and Lehigh. De Stio, who was named an All-American in 2008, leads the team with seven goals and five assists for 19 points on the season.

“Catie is one of the most natural athletes I have ever seen,” said Kirnan, “Her contributions are very visible because she starts a lot of plays and scores often. There is no question that she is having a great season.”

De Stio has frequently been in the limelight, but her teammates have all played a role in putting her there. The Red’s team-first disposition, along with the impressive work ethic of the freshmen and sophomores, bodes well for the next generation of Cornell field hockey.

“The younger girls bring intensity and amazing attitudes everyday,” Kirnan said. “It is a good sign for the future.”

Despite the slight setback that a loss to the Bulldogs presents, the Red is optimistic that it still has a shot at earning an Ivy ring. With De Stio producing consistently on the offensive end and outstanding leadership from a solid core of upperclassmen — including senior tri-captains Natalie Appleton, Kelley Kantarian and Kirnan, and veteran goaltender Mel Jue — it would be foolish to count the Red out.

“We are scheduled to face Princeton the second-to-last game of the season, which gives us a lot of time to prepare,” said Prodanovic. “Last year, we went into Princeton undefeated in the Ivies and it was similar to a championship format. Now, given our recent loss, the game dynamic will be very different.”

A little past the halfway point in the season, the team is tighter than ever. Even when the players are isolated in the far reaches of Mann Library, they are united with cell phones and RedRover internet access. Even on different floors, the teammates will seek each other out to exchange snacks or share the latest news through humorous e-mail threads and YouTube links.

Back in the preseason, the 19-player roster put its commitment to the test on the Cornell Outdoor Education’s ropes course. A series of trust- and team-building exercises was just an initial step toward achieving great chemistry. The squad continues to bond by honoring rituals like getting milkshakes together the night before every game. The habit has even made the Red women local celebrities in the Collegetown area.

“We have a tradition of getting milkshakes before every home and away game,” said De Stio, “In Ithaca, we always go to Café Pacific. ... When we are on the road we also have to stop to get milkshakes and the coaches are used to this.”

In addition, the team holds a customary dance party in the locker room prior to each contest.

Kirnan puts it plain and simple, “The dance parties are epic. I think I may have even pulled a muscle or two from time to time. They are a workout in themselves. I remember witnessing one when I was a senior in high school visiting Cornell and it had an impact on my college decision. I knew instantly that it was something I wanted to be a part of.”

“One of the last things we do before leaving the locker room is stand up together to sing the alma mater,” Kirnan said. “I think that it is a nice ode to Cornell and it reminds us of what we play for and what we represent.”

Cornell hosted its New York rival Colgate yesterday on Marsha Dodson Field and came away with a thrill­ing 2-1 victory. And while you may not have seen the players break it down on the turf, you can bet that they strutted their stuff beforehand in Bartels. The Red will head to Virginia to take on the Cav­aliers on Sat­urday at 1 p.m. to kick off Fall Break.

“Our mindset for the rest of the season is to give everything that we have be­cause we have nothing to lose,” said Prodanovic, “Luckily, we just played Colgate and face Virginia next. This two-game break in Ivy League competition will give us the chance to regroup and mentally refocus to come out strong for Harvard…and Princeton is right around the corner.”