Senior day at Franklin Field Sunday can really be renamed Lindsey Cassidy Day. The lone graduate-to-be on the Penn women's lacrosse team will be honored before the Quakers' season finale against Brown at 1 p.m.
And the co-captain certainly deserves the honor.
The Broomall, Pa., native is Penn's leading scorer on the season, with 33 points on 21 goals. Her five assists in Wednesday night's 16-4 win at Villanova catapulted her into the team lead, past freshman Chrissy Muller's 32 points by one assist.
Cassidy has started every Quakers game since her freshman year, and going into her final collegiate game, has 75 goals and 16 assists, for a total of 91 points. While it is unlikely that she will break the century mark, she has the opportunity to be the Red and Blue's leading scorer for the second consecutive year.
The only reason she has not eclipsed 100 points was because she began her career on defense, before eventually shifting to her current midfield position.
"She's been a huge impact player since her first game," Penn coach Karin Brower said.
Brower added that Cassidy has been "the key" to the Quakers' stronger seasons in her tenure here.
"It's always bad to leave and end something," Cassidy said.
She also realized that it is a tremendous accomplishment to start all four years in an NCAA Division I program.
As the only senior, Cassidy realized that the next few years can be even better.
"I'm really excited for the future of this team," she said.
As for the game, the Quakers (8-7, 3-3 Ivy) will be trying to earn at least a fourth-place Ivy League finish with a win over Brown (6-5, 2-3). If the Quakers win and Yale loses at Cornell tomorrow, the Quakers will tie the Elis for third.
The Red and Blue have not finished in the top half of the Ivy League since they were in a three-way tie for third in 1996. Penn finished in the Ancient Eight's top three in nine out of the first 10 years of league play in the 1980s, but has finished in the bottom half every year since except for 1994 and 1996.
The Quakers' biggest concern going into Sunday's contest is their ability to play a full game. "We need to play a full 60 minutes," Cassidy said.
This could be a problem against the Bears, who were outscored 102-87 in the first half this season, but have outscored their opponents 93-82 in the second half and overtime.
As usual for the Quakers, their ability to play both halves well depends on how they follow their game plan.
"It's just about us," Brower said.
The Quakers' offense has only put 37.7 percent of their shots in the net, a percentage Brower knows her team needs to improve against the Bears.
"It's a matter of finishing on attack," she said.
Brown's two senior leaders, Christine Anneberg and Laurel Pierpont, have combined for 47 points on the season, and the Quakers are keying on stopping them.
However, it is the senior Cassidy who is the focus of the day.
"Playing lacrosse and being part of the team has enhanced my experience at Penn," Cassidy said.
But ask her teammates, and they will tell you that it is Cassidy who is doing the enhancing.
