The Penn men’s lacrosse team boasts a new coach, a new schedule and a new direction.
A new result in the standings, however, might be a little tougher to come by.
As first-year head coach Mike Murphy embarks on a mission to lead Penn to its first winning season since 2006, he could be fighting an uphill battle.
Six of the Quakers’ 13 regular season opponents qualified for the 16-team NCAA Tournament in 2009.
“Our philosophy in terms of the scheduling is to play the best teams we can play,” Murphy said.
“We’ve set pretty lofty goals as a program,” he added, “and the only way we’re going to attain those goals is to play teams like that, and hopefully beat teams like that.”
Murphy won’t be doing it all on his own. He brought in his assistant from Haverford College, Brian Dougherty, to take over the defensive responsibilities.
And when it comes to keeping the ball out of the net, there might not be anybody better.
Dougherty, a three-time Major League Lacrosse Goalie of the Year and three-time MLL champion, will oversee what is being billed as the major strength of this year’s Penn team.
Senior captains Joe Kelly and Brett Hughes anchor an experienced defense that retains all of its core from last spring. Hughes’ return from an injury that sidelined him for all of last season will bolster the back line’s effectiveness.
Murphy knows that senior leadership will be relied upon heavily this season.
“Defense is something that, if you can grow to depend on, it becomes a source of confidence,” he said. “And that’s what we hope our defense will give us this year.”
Penn’s midfielders are led by face-off specialist and third senior captain Justin Lynch. Last year, won .542 percent of faceoffs in the circle, a mark that ranked No. 24 nationally. This year, he figures to be at the forefront of one of the best face-off units in the country.
Murphy’s biggest challenge will likely be rebuilding an offense that lacks the calming presence brought by veteran leadership.
Absent from the Penn attack are 2009 graduates Craig Andrzejewski, Casey O’Rourke, and Alex Weber — the same players that carried Penn to a 4-2 record down the stretch.
But Murphy isn’t focusing on the missing pieces. He expressed confidence that the void will be filled.
“We have a couple guys back that got a decent amount of experience last year,” he said. “Corey Winkoff and Rob McMullen on attack, in particular, played roles in the past and they’re going to be depended upon to be leaders on the offensive end.”
Winkoff is the only returning player from last season’s top five scorers. In each of his first two years on the team, the junior from Laurel Hollow, N.Y., has led the Quakers in assists.
And if Penn plans on scoring goals in bunches, he will likely bear much of the load this season as well.
While Winkoff boasts experience, he is not the only weapon for the Quakers on attack.
Look out for midfielder Al Kohart, a second-team All-Ivy selection as a freshman in 2008, to step up in an expanded role. The junior has already demonstrated his scoring ability, recording 25 goals in 26 career collegiate contests.
With the numerous challenges that lie ahead, Murphy and his staff will adopt a foundational approach toward leading the Penn program in the right direction.
“We have daily goals of improving,” Murphy said. “And if we continue to do that, and focus on the short term, I believe the results will take care of themselves.
“We don’t circle a couple games on our schedule. It’s just about today, and trying to get better today.”
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