US Lacrosse Magazine released the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Women’s Preseason Top 20 on Jan. 2. Team-by-team previews will be unveiled on uslaxmagazine.com through the end of the month and will also appear as part of the magazine’s NCAA preview edition in February. 

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No. 7 Penn

2018 Record: 14-5 (6-1 Ivy League)
Coach: Karin Corbett (20th year)

All-Time Record: 217-109
NCAA Appearances: 14
Final Fours: 3
Championships: 0

Katy Junior and Julia O’Mara are Penn’s only two senior starters. The Quakers haven’t had a team this young since 2012, when they were 9-8 with two seniors on the roster.

Junior and O’Mara are both defensive players, and that leaves the offense without a senior leader on attack or midfield given the graduations of Caroline Cummings and Alex Condon, respectively.

“We have no seniors on the attack and we really have one junior,” Corbett said. “It’s very young, and we’re going to have several freshmen out there. I do think it’s young. I think there’s a lot of growth that has to happen.”

Gabby Rosenzweig, Zoe Belodeau and Erin Barry were Penn’s three top scorers a year ago, and they all figure to be improved this year.  Corbett wonders how they’ll react to getting more defensive attention from teams while shaping up into the leaders on attack.

“That’s very different going into a senior year, when you’ve been a big player as a junior and feeling it’s your team,” Corbett said. “It’s a little different being a junior. They’re not seniors yet. They do have a lot of experience, but I feel like there’s a lot of growth your junior year into, ‘This is my team.’ It’s where Erin, Gabby and [junior defender Chelsea] Kibler will need to get pretty soon early on in the season. They’ve got to act like that, and sometimes it takes a little time for juniors.”

Penn has been sorting through candidates to fill out its offense. Laura Crawford impressed all fall. Corbett saw a transformation in her.

Barry will have help in a midfield that will be deeper this year, though plenty young. Abby Bosco moves from defense to midfield and Elyse Decker, who came on at the end of last year, will play plenty along with freshmen Michaela McMahon and Ellen O’Callaghan.

In all, Penn expects to play five freshmen. Jordyn Bauer will contribute on defense, and Robin Panzarella and Taylyn Stadler aid the attack. Penn might be a year away from being really good, but has the chance to develop this year.

“The big thing is getting our attack to gel,” Corbett said. “We have a lot of kids that can score and assist, but it’s getting them to mesh together well and get comfortable with one another. We have to do a lot of work with that now.”

The Case For Penn

Penn’s offense has been climbing for five years. With their three top scorers — Gabby Rosenzweig, Zoe Belodeau and Erin Barry — all back, they’re in good shape to field a formidable attack again. The Quakers are one of the best feeding teams in the country thanks to Rosenzweig and Belodeau, and that will help them excel against zone and man defenses.

If Penn returns to form at the defensive end — last year’s 40th-ranked scoring defense was its lowest rank nationally in more than 15 seasons — the Quakers will have quite a combination.

The Case Against Penn

Penn graduated Ivy League Defender of the Year Natalie Stefan, who was tops in caused turnovers and best at clearing the ball. The Quakers return starting goalie Mikaila Cheeseman, but the defense in front of her has to play smarter. Penn gave up too many 8-meter opportunities last year.

At the offensive end, Penn has scoring back, but must make up 35 percent of its points between graduated Emily Rogers-Healion, Cummings, and Condon, the former Ivy League Midfielder of the Year.

“It is a new team,” Corbett said. “Losing Alex and Cummings, the attack is just different and we have to really come together.”

Path to the Playoffs

Penn hosts Princeton on April 17 in a matchup of the two most dominant Ivy League teams. They have 27 league titles between them, and Princeton won both meetings last year, including a 13-10 decision in the conference championship game. Penn held a 17-8 edge in draw controls, but turned the ball over 16 times in that contest.

The Quakers could seal a 13th straight trip to the NCAA tournament if they returned the favor. Even if it doesn’t win the league, Penn always plays a strong non-conference schedule that gives it a path to an NCAA tournament bid.

Players To Watch

Erin Barry, M, Jr.
51G, 24 CT

Barry returns as the team’s top midfielder after filling up the stat sheet last year. The unanimous All-Ivy selection helps everywhere. The Quakers’ leading scorer capitalizes on one of the Ivy’s best shooting percentages, tops the team in ground balls, aids the draw control and creates turnovers.

Gabby Rosenzweig, A, Jr.
52G, 36A

Rosenzweig made a meteoric jump in her second year, and the Quakers are hoping they can get even more out her this season. The Tewaaraton Award nominee is on pace to become the program’s all-time leading scorer thanks to improving as a feeder, dodger and finisher.

Katy Junior, D, Sr.
23 CT, 38 GB

The four-year starter again will bring experience and playmaking to the defense. Her veteran presence is critical to a team with few other seniors on the field. The speedy defender will help make up for the graduation of caused turnover leader Natalie Stefan.

National Rankings

Power Ratings (Scale of 1-5)

Offense
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Defense
⭐⭐⭐

Goalkeeping
⭐⭐⭐

Draw
⭐⭐⭐⭐

11

Of the last 12 seasons, 2015 is the only year in which Penn has not won outright or shared the Ivy League regular season title. But the Quakers haven’t won the Ivy tournament championship since 2014. They have 3 Ivy tournament crowns.

5-Year Trend
Scoring Offense

Coach Confidential
Karin Corbett

“There are two keys — getting that offense to gel and playing to each other’s strengths. And two, can our younger kids really adapt to the college game and play midfield the way we need them to play? If we can do that, we have more able, fresh bodies.”

Enemy Lines

“I think Penn this year as well as every year will be tough. They have a lot of kids returning to a team that had a very dynamic offense and a very stingy defense. A lot of their best players were their younger players, freshmen and sophomores. I think with another year of playing together, they’re going to be really tough and an imposing team.”