It was five minutes into the second half of the Penn women's lacrosse team's second game of the season when it happened. Sophomore attacker Emily Cochran had managed little more than a shot on goal in the Quakers' first game, but now there was something different.
"I walked out onto the field in the second half of the Delaware game and I knew something had to change," Cochran said. "It was just my time."
It certainly was her time, as Cochran went on to net four goals in Penn's 15-12 victory over the Blue Hens. More importantly, the young Quakers, who have only one senior on their roster, had found their offensive leader.
But Cochran's path to collegiate lacrosse did not come without struggles. Growing up in West Bloomfield, Mich., Cochran found that lacrosse was not exactly the sport of choice for her peers.
"When I was young I had to drive an hour-and-a-half to play lacrosse. Even in high school there were only seven schools in the entire state that played lacrosse."
As such, Cochran's prowess for the game made her an instant all- star in Michigan. She was all-state by her sophomore year and was thrice named Most Valuable Player of Sacred Heart Academy. She served as the captain of her team as a junior and senior, leading Sacred Heart to two state championships.
For all the talent that she had, Cochran faced a stark realization when she came to Penn. As the level of competition in Michigan is nothing near that of the Ivy League, Cochran would not be able to simply rely on her impressive natural ability as she had throughout high school.
"When I came to Penn, [head coach Karin Brower] told me that I would have to be willing to be coached," Cochran said. "We decided that if I worked hard, I could be an integral part of the team."
Cochran's freshman season was impressive, as she recorded 12 goals, but she was not able to find her place in a lineup dominated by seniors.
"As a freshman I definitely held back some. It was my first year playing big time lacrosse and I didn't want to step on anyone's toes. What made sophomore year so exciting was that I knew that now I could cut loose."
And cut loose Cochran did. In the next five games, the Michigan native netted a remarkable 16 goals, including three four-goal games.
Cochran had taken control of Penn's offense.
"To lead the attack, your teammates have to trust you," Brower said. "Emily had that. Every time we had the ball near our opponent's goal, the team looked to Emily to do something great."
In late March, the Red and Blue headed into Ithaca, N.Y., looking for their first Ivy League victory.
"It was an eerie day," Cochran remembered. "A cloud had descended onto the field and you couldn't see one end of the field from the other."
Cochran had already tallied a goal and an assist when, early in the second half, she made a cut to the net while on the attack.
"I was running downfield a step ahead of my defender when she hipped into me," Cochran recounted. "My knee bent in and I heard a snap. I knew right away it was my ACL."
Although in severe pain from her injuries, Cochran heeded the advice from her father and crutched out to the Quakers sideline to cheer her team to victory. The Quakers led by one when Cochran went down, but in a flurry of goals dedicated to their fallen leader, the Quakers turned the close game into a 13-7 route.
In Penn's next game against national powerhouse Johns Hopkins, its offense was in disarray; but with 18:31 left in the first half, freshman Chrissy Muller hooked up with sophomore Ali Ryan in a hint of what was to come.
Ryan and Muller first met at the Penn Elite Camp -- a program for high schoolers hosted by Brower -- in the summer before Ryan's freshman year at Penn and before Muller's senior year of high school.
"We were on the same team and our chemistry was simply amazing," Ryan said. "The two of us just worked so well together. We beat everybody."
After playing several games together at camp, Ali took Brower and Muller aside.
"Ali really wanted Chrissy to come to Penn," Brower said. "She kept on telling Chrissy how good they would be if Chrissy came to Penn. It worked."
Although she liked to run the offense from behind the net, Muller, being only a freshman, was reluctant to take control. However, Cochran, drawing on her experience as a freshman, had a talk with Muller.
"I told Chrissy no one cares if you are a freshman. Everyone is just looking for someone to step up and take the lead."
Muller began running the offense for the Red and Blue in the Johns Hopkins game, but the Quakers made a poor showing as no one stuck to the set game plan.
"When Emily was in we never had to run plays," Muller said. "We just gave her the ball and she would score. Losing her was terrible, but it has made our attack more disciplined. Now, when anyone on attack gets the ball, they are a threat to score."
But Muller's favorite target has been Ryan. Since Cochran went down, Muller has tallied eight assists, five of which have been feeds to Ryan.
"As a team our closeness off the field, is starting to carry over onto the field," Ryan said.
With Cochran set to return next season and the Quakers set to lose only one senior to graduation, this team chemistry could translate into the best lacrosse team in Penn's history.
