For the No. 15 Penn women's lacrosse team there have been many lofty expectations to live up to this year. Among those helping the Quakers to meet those expectations is Rachel Manson, a freshman attacker used to the pressure of playing for a team expected to succeed.
Manson started off her college career at Penn on a scoring tear, netting seven goals in her first three games. This stretch included four of the Quakers' six goals in a loss to Northwestern.
Manson seemed to be a natural fit in Penn's offense, on which she is now second in scoring, with 13 goals. She claims that this success would not be possible if she didn't work so well with her teammates.
"A lot of [my goals] are assisted goals," Manson said. "My team has done a really good job of when I'm open, seeing me."
As perfect a fit as Manson has been for the Quakers offense, she claims that Penn is an even better fit for her.
Manson grew up in Virginia, a state in which lacrosse is particularly popular. She was turned onto the game early in life by the influences around her.
"My older brother and sister both played," Manson explained. "In middle school, my school played other teams, so I started playing then, in seventh or eighth grade."
In high school, Manson's lacrosse experience began to direct her towards her successful start at Penn.
Her high school, St. Stephens and St. Agnes school in Alexandria, Va., was ranked No. 1 in the country during Manson's junior season. During her senior year, she captained the team, and was named a first-team All-American.
"It was an amazing experience," Manson said of playing in high school. "It's really common for kids from my high school to play in college, so I knew I wanted to."
While Manson's lacrosse skill drew her towards choosing a top athletic school, her academic ability caused her to limit her search mainly to Ivy League institutions.
Manson, an Academic All-American her senior year of high school as well, narrowed her college search to three schools: Brown, Dartmouth, and Penn. In the end, Penn seemed to be the clear best fit.
"Once I stepped onto campus here, I knew this was the place for me," Manson said.
Beyond this initial appeal, Penn had a definite advantage over Brown and Dartmouth to Manson, and that was women's lacrosse coach Karin Brower.
"Brower was my coach at camp for three years in a row," Manson said. "I really loved her."
This previous positive experience with Brower, combined with the good impression she got from Penn as a whole, was enough for Manson, and Penn emerged as her clear college of choice.
"Penn just seemed like the perfect fit after knowing Karin," she said.
Immediately, Manson seemed to gel with the squad.
"Even before I got on campus, girls [from the team] were calling me and helping me with classes," Manson said.
"These girls are by far my best friends. I don't know if all teams are as close as we are, but we're an exceptionally close group of girls."
This easy fit helped Manson burst onto the national college lacrosse scene her freshman year. Her four goals against Northwestern, now ranked No. 1 in the nation, mark the most any player has scored against that team.
Manson's 13 goals on the year are also 10 more than any other Quakers freshman has scored this season.
Since her opening three-game, seven-goal explosion, the team has been significantly better in games where Manson has success than in games where she doesn't.
Manson had one goal combined in Penn's three recent losses to Cornell, Johns Hopkins, and Penn State. But in Penn's three recent wins against Yale, Delaware, and Columbia, Manson had five goals overall.
The transition from high school to college lacrosse has certainly seemed smooth for Manson, but the freshman stressed that the competition on a daily basis is at a much higher level.
Things have been different in college, as the 5-4 Quakers have received tough competition every game.
For Manson, this increase in competition has been a welcome change.
"I'm a freakishly competitive person, so it's fun," Manson said.
The challenge that lies ahead is for Manson is to continue to improve her game and help the Quakers improve as a team.
"I definitely need to work on just my one v. one," Manson said, claiming she needs to be more unpredictable in order to set up her own shots more effectively.
Luckily for her, she has three and a half more seasons at Penn to look forward to, and plenty of time to work on her one-on-one attacks.
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