Learning from the nation's best

With temperatures along the East Coast rising to suffocating levels last week, many people, athletes included, found refuge indoors.

That, however, wasn’t the case for Quakers lacross player Emily Leitner who spent her weekend in Cantonsville, Md., sweating through several 100-degree days while vying for a spot on the U.S. Women’s Senior Lacrosse Team.

“It was really hot,” Leitner, a Daily Pennsylvanian videographer, said. “All the selectors and organizers made sure when you weren’t playing you were in the air-conditioning with lots of water breaks. They really monitored the situation well with hydrating.”

Leitner received the opportunity to try out for the national team after a solid junior year between the pipes. A strong showing at the preliminary tryouts at Stony Brook, N.Y. during Memorial Day weekend earned her another trip, this time to the second round at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

The conclusion of the three-day tryout featured more than 80 of the top women’s lacrosse players in the nation fighting for 36 positions that would ultimately act as the foundation for the team that will compete in the 2013 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Cup in Oshawa, Ontario.

Unfortunately, Leitner was ultimately left off the list that was released on Sunday. However, she looks back at the weekend as a positive learning experience and something to build upon for next year.

“It was a great experience [playing] some of the best players in the country — both in college and out of college,” Leitner said. “There was a huge learning experience playing with some of the players who have tried out before and been on the team before.”

“The biggest thing was to take chances outside the goal, to pick up a player or pick up a ground ball,” she added. “It’s something that I tried to do throughout the weekend and I’ll take into my game next season hopefully.”

In her first season as a starter, the rising senior was named second-team All-Ivy and helped Penn lead the Ivy in goals allowed per game.

“She’s really ready to own that position this year, and she’s a great leader,” Penn coach Karin Brower Corbett said leading up to last year. “She’s real confident with the ball, so we can use her a lot in transition.”

Leitner will continue to play in summer tournaments including one in Lake Placid next weekend as well as several pick-up summer leagues before returning to campus in the fall.

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