Penn Athletics weekend preview: Men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, and wrestling in action

As classes pause for spring break, Penn sports keep going strong. As one of the final winter sports to remain active, wrestling faces postseason competition this weekend, while men's and women's lacrosse continue with more tough opponents.

Wrestling

Dual meet season is over for the Red and Blue, but the postseason is just getting started. Penn wrestling will face the best of the conference this weekend as the squad gears up for the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships in Bethlehem, Pa.

While the team score will still be counted, the focus is on individual performance, as the highest-placed wrestlers in each weight class will qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Wrestlers to watch from Penn include sophomore Doug Zapf and freshman Michael Colaiocco. Zapf finished the EIWA regular season undefeated with a perfect 16-0 record, and currently has a 25-5 mark on the year. The 141-pounder is slated to be the top seed in his class and is poised to contend for the title.

Colaiocco had a standout rookie campaign, going 20-5 overall and 8-1 in EIWA play, and he'll look to make a deep run this weekend as well.

Notably absent will be sophomore Anthony Artalona, who has not wrestled since dropping a decision to senior Larry Early of Old Dominion in a dual meet on Jan. 10.

Women’s lacrosse 

The season is still relatively young for Penn women’s lacrosse, but the Quakers may face their toughest challenge of the year this Saturday against Loyola (Md.).

Ranked third in the country by US Lacrosse Magazine, Loyola (4-0) is coming to Franklin Field fresh off two blowout road victories against ranked opponents — the first a 17-6 win over No. 4 Florida, and the second a 22-12 win over Penn State. 

The Red and Blue (4-0, 1-0 Ivy) — ranked No. 7 by USL Magazine — are also coming off an impressive performance on the road. Last weekend, Penn defeated Yale 11-5 in New Haven in the team’s Ivy opener. 

Given the Greyhounds’ high-scoring offense, goalie play could prove especially critical for Penn this weekend. It remains unclear who will get the start in goal for the Quakers after freshman Kelly Van Hoesen and sophomore Krissy Kowalski, who is also a staffer for The Daily Pennsylvanian, split time equally last week. 

On the offensive end, Penn will be led by senior Gabby Rosenzweig who is the final year of a historic career for the Red and Blue.

Men’s lacrosse

After suffering a 18-17 heartbreaker last weekend to No. 2 Penn State, Penn men’s lacrosse will have an opportunity to get back on track against two other in-state rivals this weekend.

On Friday, the No. 6 Quakers (1-2) will face off against No. 14 Villanova at Franklin Field. Then on Sunday, Penn will make the short trip across town to play Saint Joe’s. 

The game against Villanova (3-2) will serve as an especially important test for the Quakers as they are in the midst of a brutal start to their schedule. Both of the Red and Blue’s losses thus far have been against teams ranked in the top five nationally, but the Wildcats most likely represent the Quakers’ last chance to get a non-conference win over a ranked opponent. Missing out on this opportunity would put a major dent in the team’s resume for a potential at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament.

Beating Villanova will be no easy task, however, as the Wildcats have been playing excellent lacrosse after dropping their first two games of the season. Last weekend, Villanova took care of Delaware on the road 19-10, and two games before that, the Wildcats upset Maryland 13-12. The Terrapins defeated Penn 17-15 in the Quakers’ season opener.