Duke Lacroix named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year

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Junior captain Duke Lacroix was named the first Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year on Wednesday November 20. As a key component of Penn’s offensive, the title is nothing but fitting. Having earned a career-high 19 points this season with eight goals and three assists, Lacroix has demonstrated himself as a fierce offensive player.

He becomes the sixth in Ancient Eight history to earn both Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year in a single career. He is only the second Penn player to earn an Ivy Player of the Year, with the first being Matthew Haefner who earned the title in 2002.

Overall, seven members of the Red and Blue received All-Ivy selections — more than any other member of the Ancient Eight. The last time the Quakers received seven selections was in 2010, the rookie season of the current seniors. The selection numbers only add to the similarities between that season and the current one. These two similar seasons bookend the seniors time at a part of the Penn squad.

Lacroix was unanimously named first-team All-Ivy by Ivy head coaches in addition to midfielder Louis Schott and defender and captain Jonny Dolezal. Alongside Lacroix attacking, freshman forward Alec Neumann was named second-team All-Ivy and Matt Poplawski and the Kinn brothers, Austin and Tyler, received honorable mention All-Ivy selections.

The Quakers received recognition for both offensive and defensive players showing the true depth of the squad. Coming off of a 3-13 season in 2012, these awards are just the icing on the cake to an Ivy Title and home first round NCAA tournament game for the Quakers. These results were anything but predicable a mere three months ago.

And while the Red and Blue have impressed the Ivy League, now they move on to face a new opponent. Their next test will come tomorrow at 7pm at home against Providence.