After winning its first six games of the season in impressive fashion, what is left for Penn’s women’s lacrosse to prove? Well, taking down the top-ranked team in the nation would be a nice start.
The No. 14 Quakers (6-0) look to make this a reality Wednesday afternoon when they travel to take on No. 1 Maryland.
For the Quakers, this 6-0 start has been their best since 2011. The team currently sits atop the Ivy League standings with Princeton and boasts a high-octane offense led by junior midfield Nina Corcoran and senior attack Tory Bensen. The defense has also been stout, headlined by senior defense Meg Markham, who was recently named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week.
Similarly, the Terps (7-0) have been sizzling since opening day. They have defeated three of the nation’s top six teams and — in just seven games — have outscored opponents, 99-44. Surely, Wednesday’s tilt against Maryland will be a tall challenge for the Quakers.
That has not fazed the team, however.
“We know that this is our biggest game this season, but we believe that we can win and that’s the biggest thing,” Corcoran said. “Once you start doubting it, that’s when things go wrong.”
Of the team’s many strengths, Maryland’s offense is especially potent, sporting national stars like freshmen attack Megan Whittle and junior midfield Taylor Cummings, who is seventh in the nation in draw controls. The two have combined for 44 goals this season.
To Penn coach Karin Corbett, stopping the Terps offense will require a team effort.
“It’s not about the one-on-one matchups — it’s about team defense,” she said. “[We] also want to cause some turnovers.”
Fortunately, one of the Quakers’ strong suits is their defense. In the back end for the Red and Blue are four returning starters from 2014: senior defenses Markham, Lydia Miller and Taylor Foussadier, in addition to senior goalkeeper Lucy Ferguson, who has been instrumental to the team’s success this season.
On the other side of the field, Penn looks to end Maryland’s current streak of dominating opposing offenses. The Terps’ defense does not concede many shots on net and goaltending has been strong for the squad all season.
“Their defense is very solid, they protect the eight and they don’t pressure you out a lot,” Corbett said. “We have to generate a lot of movement to get good looks.”
For the Penn offense, that will require a fast tempo and a hard fight to keep possession, meaning that all turnovers will be costly. Corbett says that avoiding complacency and finishing plays will also be critical to the team’s success on offense.
With so many positives from both sides of the field, this year’s contest should be more balanced than usual, as Penn looks to beat Maryland for the first time since the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
“We definitely have a different mindset going into this game than in previous years,” Corbett said. “We’re going to go out there, play our best and give them a game.”
Junior midfield Lely DeSimone, one of Penn’s top goal scorers, recognizes the importance of playing a smart offensive game.
“The key to tomorrow’s game is possession and making smart plays,” she said.
“I think if we have the ball we can score,” Corcoran added. “It’s going to be about winning the draw and getting those ground balls.”
After all, if the Red and Blue want to take down the nation’s biggest program, they will have to start by doing all the little things right.
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