The No. 4 Penn women’s lacrosse team may lead the nation in scoring defense, but when the Quakers take on offensive juggernaut Maryland tonight at Franklin Field, something will have to give.
Though Penn holds its opponents to an average 5.56 goals per game, Maryland’s sixth-ranked scoring offense averages a robust 15 goals per game.
Led by Maryland natives Caitlyn McFadden and Karri Ellen Johnson, who have tallied 43 and 40 points respectively, the No. 2 Terrapins (11-0) have scored 20 goals in three different games.
Last year, McFadden earned National Midfielder of the Year honors, and Penn senior defense Barb Seaman said that this year McFadden is one of the nation’s best players — period.
But all seven Maryland attackers are capable offensive threats, so Penn coach Karin Brower Corbett emphasized that the Penn defense must, as usual, play as a cohesive unit to slow them down.
“They’re one of the most athletic teams I’ve seen in a long time,” Corbett said. “You can’t leave your teammates in one-on-ones very long. You have to always be ready to help.”
Seaman said the team is excited to face another highly ranked team after a disappointing loss last month to No. 3 North Carolina.
“We always like to play ACC schools,” Seaman said. “But when it’s a big game, we usually play up for them.”
Penn (8-1, 3-0 Ivy) will also take on a struggling Columbia squad Sunday at home.
The Lions (4-3, 0-3) are still looking for their first Ancient Eight win and have already been pummeled by a combined 30-6 margin against Dartmouth and Princeton — Penn’s main competitors for the Ivy throne.
Corbett cautioned that the Quakers cannot take Columbia lightly, as last year they looked past the Lions a bit and ended up allowing a regular season-high 11 goals.
Columbia’s main bright spot of late has been senior attack Brittany Shannon, who earned Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors after putting up 10 goals and two assists in the team’s last two games.
Meanwhile, Penn’s attack and transition offense have been uneven at times, leading to turnovers and scoring droughts.
Sophomore attack Erin Brennan attributed some of those problems to being overanxious due to inconsistency in gaining and then maintaining possession of the ball.
“We get overexcited and want to score so badly that then that’s when we force it,” Brennan said. “If we just play calm and composed and let the ball do the work, I think we’ll be much more successful.”
Corbett said the team will need to win the battle for draw controls against Maryland in order to maximize time of possession. Draw controls have been a bit of an Achilles heel for the Quakers all season, particularly in the North Carolina loss in which the Tar Heels finished with a 13-7 advantage.
“I think [draw control] is a lot about heart,” Corbett said. “It’s about getting that first step in there, being able to fight for it and have that grit and that aggressiveness to get it.”
