Bajwa and Ma: Closing the alley

Whether it be on the illustrious turf of Franklin Field, or battling her father and brothers in her family's unfinished basement, Penn senior Rani Bajwa has always been at her best on green carpet. Bajwa, whose father was a member of the U.S. Olympic field hockey team, first learned to play the game as a young girl by horsing around in the basement with her father and older brothers, and playing pickup games at the University of Maryland. Senior Lily Ma is Bajwa's partner on the left side. Though not blessed with the Bajwa genes, Ma is a natural athlete who picked up the game in junior high, and has excelled ever since. Today Bajwa and Ma are in their final year anchoring the left side of the Quakers defense. Often overshadowed by Amy Pine and Mandy Kauffman, Bajwa and Ma are the blue collar defensive stars who have successfully defended field hockey's golden alley against some of the best offensive players in the nation. Bajwa and Ma both acknowledge after four years together they have developed a veteran relationship that allows them to take more chances defensively, and even exchange positions on the fly. "We'll do a lot of defensive changing," Bajwa said. "There's many times where I'll push up and Lily will drop back. It's great to have that confidence in a player, and I know darn well she can play defense. I think that gives us a lot of freedom." In fact, as freshmen, it was Bajwa who played midfielder, while Ma started at defender. But midway through the season, Bajwa suffered a stress fracture, knocking her out of the lineup for the remainder of the season. To compensate, Sage moved Ma to left midfielder. When Bajwa returned the next season a step slower, Sage decided to leave Ma at midfield, and let Bajwa play the less rigorous defender position. "I think they have an unwritten code or unwritten rule right now," Penn coach Anne Sage said. "They've figured it out. They're really comfortable with each other out there." In spite of their rapport on the field, Sage called Bajwa and Ma a study in contrasts. Ma, a 1993 second-team all-Ivy selection at midfielder, relies on her speed and impeccable stickhandling to dumfound opponents and ignite the Penn attack. "Lily is the quickest person on our team in terms of her stick movement," Bajwa said. "I remember watching her and just being fascinated to see her play. When she runs, she's so light-looking, it doesn't look like she's plodding around like the rest of us." Bajwa is a poised, deliberate player who draws on strong fundamentals and veteran savvy to frustrate the players she marks, as well as keep her own teammates levelheaded. Ma recounted one instance last season against Maryland when Bajwa's attempt to flip the ball ended up in the stands, nearly hitting the Maryland coach. "We're all saying, 'Oh, boy,' " Ma said. "But Rani kept her cool. Sure enough, we get another free hit, and I'm fully expecting Rani to smack the ball. But no, she goes right back and executes a perfect ariel. At first, I'm thinking, 'Oh my gosh, what are you thinking?' I would have been scared to try it again, but not Rani." Their differences extend off the field as well. Though both come from family backgrounds strongly stressing academics, that is where the similarities end. Ma, a Wharton senior, said she has struck a balance between athletics and academics she believes only Penn could provide. "I was very concerned about academics, but athletics has always been a big part of my life too," Ma said. Sage jokingly said Bajwa is going to save the world. But that personality didn't stop a referee at Brown from handing Bajwa a yellow card. After a play stoppage, she rolled the ball to the opposing player, but the referee thought she was delaying the game out of frustration. She said to the referee, "Oh gosh, I'm really sorry." The referee replied, "Yeah, I know." "I think she felt like she needed to do that," Bajwa said. A pre-med, religious studies major, Bajwa is the head of Athletes in Action, a Christian fellowship on campus. According to Bajwa, her strong religious ties have affected every area of her life, including athletics. "From freshman year, I had trouble taking a step back from the game and putting things in perspective," Bajwa said. "I needed to come together as a whole player. I joined Athletes in Action and it's really affected my athletics and my rapport with other players." It is exactly that kind of rapport between Bajwa and Ma that has closed the golden alley to the rest of the Ivy League.