Sawczuk's story goes beyond Penn women's soccer's stats

In a sport like soccer, where win-loss records, shots taken and goals scored define postgame analysis, it’s easy to get caught up in the statistics. But sometimes the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Take Penn women’s soccer sophomore midfielder Lindsey Sawczuk, for example.

From a numbers standpoint, she is tied with senior back Haley Cooper for second on the team in points with one goal and one assist in the 2014 season. But it’s hard to grasp just how technically adept and quietly dominant the sophomore is on the field until you see her play.

“She is like a quiet assassin,” coach Darren Ambrose said. “She is so humble and quiet, but she plays like a monster.”

During games, this “monster” presence is characterized by precise and measured moves. Whenever she gets the ball, the rest of her teammates seem to relax a little bit, because they know that the ball is in good hands — or, in this case, good feet.

“She can get the worst ball possible, and she will clean it up in a touch,” senior midfielder Erin Mikolai, one of Sawczuk’s linemates, said. “If I could say the one person where I trust completely on the ball and I know where she is going to be next, it would be Lindsey.”

Mikolai’s trust in the sophomore comes from an entire season of holding down the Quakers’ first line of defense together. Although Sawczuk did not start every game, she saw action in every one of the Red and Blue’s games in the 2013 season.

Given the relative youth of this year’s squad, that experience in the midfield is crucial for the Quakers.

“I’ve definitely had to take on a bigger role,” Sawczuk admitted. “Overall, everyone has done a great job of stepping up and filling all the holes we need to fill.”

This response is typical of Sawczuk — Ambrose describes her as one of the most humble players he has ever coached. The sophomore is quick to deflect compliments back onto her teammates, always putting the team above herself.

“I love the girls,” Sawczuk said. “They’re all my best friends, so it is so much fun coming out every day and playing soccer.”

For Ambrose, watching Sawczuk play is almost as fun. “She is so clever,” he said. “She knows where pressure is coming from, and she rarely gets caught in possession of the ball.”

After two tough conference losses to Harvard on Sept. 27 and Cornell on Oct. 3, Ambrose is looking for a way to turn his team around. At the moment, Sawczuk is the most obvious solution.

“If she can demand more and get the ball more we’re going to be a better team for it,” Ambrose said. “We are just trying to encourage her to open up vocally and take more of a lead kind of role.”

Mikolai agrees. “If anything, I would want [Lindsey] to take the ball more because she’s got that skill where she can go when we want to beat anyone,” she said.

“She already earned her spot on the field, so now it is her chance to take us to the next level.”

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