Maldonado big threat for Lehigh

When the Quakers face the Engineers tonight, Maldonado should again be a force down low. Last year, Penn power forward Michelle Maldonado suffered in silence. Hampered by injury, she was forced to play out of her natural position for most of the season. With the inside presence of all-Ivy center Natasha Rezek and starting power forward Deana Lewis, coupled with the Quakers weakness on the perimeter, Maldonado usually found herself playing in the small forward spot instead of in the paint. A combination of injury and playing an unnatural position resulted in a largely ineffective and frustrating season, in which she and her teammates spent practically the entire year in the basement of the Ivy League standings. All of that must make this year that much more special for her. In all three of the Quakers' games this year, particularly in their season opening win against St. Francis (Pa.), Maldonado's play has been eye opening. Once again playing as a power forward, Maldonado's dominant play inside proved the difference as the Quakers came back to beat the Red Flash, 73-67. Tuesday night, against a powerful St. Joseph's squad, she poured in 20 points in a losing cause. Maldonado's scoring, along with the inside presence of Lewis, who has moved to center, has more than made up for the graduation of Rezek and has at the same time put the frustration of a year ago to rest. "I think she's surprised a lot of people -- people who really dismissed her this year," Penn coach Julie Soriero said. The secret to Maldonado's success this year speaks volumes about what makes this year's edition of the Quakers so exciting. "It rests a great deal on Michelle's determination and work ethic," Soriero said. Maldonado will try to continue her recent success as the Quakers (1-2) attempt to break a two-game skid at Lehigh (1-3) tonight at 7 p.m. The Engineers, fresh off of their first winning season in six years, are led by senior co-captain Moira Deakin. Deakin, like Maldonado, is trying to fill the shoes left by the graduation of her team's leading scorer and rebounder from a year ago, Kim Behrens. Soriero hopes that the matchup tonight will provide some experience for her team and will go a ways towards teaching the Quakers how to win away from the Palestra.