Corcoran has high hopes for M. Lacrosse

With a new coach and many young players, the Penn men's lacrosse team has developed a short memory. The Quakers are determined to put last year's mistakes behind them. Penn (2-1) started off on a high note, dominating its first two games. Penn defeated Michigan State 13-8 and Division II C.W. Post 17-8 over spring break. "We came out really strong the first two games," junior midfielder Dan Connell said. "We were playing like a team, working hard and having fun." Penn returned to its traditional underdog position when it faced off against Navy Saturday afternoon. While Penn fought valiantly, the team was overmatched by the nationally-ranked Midshipmen. The Quakers fell 16-6 at Franklin Field. "We've got to get something good out of every loss," Connell said. "We had a tough go against Navy, but they're a much better team. We learned we can compete with a team at that level. If we don't do it right, then we're going to get crushed." The Navy loss served as a wake-up call to the Quakers. After all, they will be facing top competition throughout the Ivy League. Princeton and Brown are consistently vying for the top spot in the country, and Penn must play a more consistent game to stay with them. The Quakers are determined to stick with their multi-faceted offense and defense tonight. "We work on a team concept," senior midfielder Brian Napolitano said. "We don't have one dominating player." Defensively, four players -- seniors Kelleigh Faldi and Scott Ignall, and juniors Phil Coniglio and Kevin O'Brien -- have been rotating into the three inside spots. Sophomore goaltender Travis Heinrichs played in only one game last season. He must replace last year's starting keeper and backup, Steve Bassford and Ronnie Pang, respectively. "Travis has got a lot of pressure on him right now," Faldi said. "I think he's building and growing into a goalie who can help us out a lot." Freshman Joe Siedlecki will be playing the crucial long-stick position as defensive midfielder. The remaining midfielders will be led by Napolitano and senior captain Andrew Greenberg. Their line will be completed by freshman John Ward. The Quakers are lacking on the offensive side of the field. Penn has only four attackers that can provide the team with critical goals. "We've spent a lot of time pushing hard on the fundamentals of the game," first-year Penn coach Terry Corcoran said. Corcoran replaces G.W. Mix, who resigned over the summer after four years as coach. "We're trying to be more aggressive on defense and get more ball movement on offense," Corcoran added. "We're trying to put some pressure on our opponents. We're trying to play physical and more aggressive than the kids might have been used to in the past." The Quakers have been decimated by the loss of key players. Three of last year's captains have graduated, and the fourth, Vern Briggs, has left the team. In addition, numerous Penn players have transferred to other schools. Among the players that remain, junior midfielder Tyler Hale has a broken ankle and Phil Perry, another junior midfielder, is facing knee surgery. Both will be out for the season. Freshman defender Brian Dobson has a stress fracture in his leg. In addition, Connell is hobbled by an ankle injury, and will not play tonight against Mount St. Mary's (7 p.m., Franklin Field). Players say having to deal with adversity has brought the team closer together. The addition of Corcoran has assisted in the rise of Penn morale as well. "The attitude is a lot better this year," Connell said. "The new coach has really turned things around. People are working hard and working like a team, and making it fun again, the way it should be." Penn will try to get back on a winning roll tonight against Mount St. Mary's. "We have to start executing our half-field offense," Corcoran said. "We have to cut down on turnovers. I think right now we're just getting the ball turned over inside too much. That's been hurting us a lot. We need to move the ball in and out of our sticks." While the Quakers refuse to set long-term goals this early in the season, they are certain their effort will take them further than they have gone in the past. "As a whole unit we should play really well," Faldi said. "Look for hustle. Look for people playing vocal on the bench and on the field. Look for a full effort, not just a quarter or a half. From the starting whistle to the ending whistle, you'll notice Penn playing solid lacrosse and dominating the game."

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