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2012 RECORD: 9-8 (6-1 IVY LEAGUE) COACH: KARIN BROWER CORBETT (14TH YEAR)


PENN QUAKERS 12


Feb 23 Drexel Mar 2 North Carolina Mar 6 at Rutgers Mar 9 at Harvard Mar 16 Yale Mar 21 Vanderbilt Mar 24 Cornell Mar 30 Maryland Apr 3 at Lehigh Apr 6 at Columbia Apr 12 Dartmouth Apr 17 Princeton Apr 20 at Brown Apr 27 at Northwestern


Perhaps Penn midfi elder Maddie Poplawski could feed more and get more ground balls. But how can you nitpick?


“If she has the points she


had last year and we can build up around her, we can be really good,” Quakers coach Karin Brower Corbett said. “I want people to rise to her level. I don’t want her to do more. She did a ton for us last year.” With injuries decimating the midfi eld, Poplawski had to do it all. By the end of 2012, the Quakers had 17 healthy fi eld players. They were exhausted at the end of games. Penn scored 15 fewer goals in the second half than in the fi rst half of contests last year. “You put your heart and soul on the line,” Poplawski said.


“Our fi nal loss to Loyola, it was one of the hottest days I can remember playing lacrosse.”


Poplawski was happy the Quakers had that chance. Days before, she and her housemates sat watching the NCAA tournament selection show, unsure if they made it. “We don’t want to get to that position ever again,” she said. “It’s nerve-wracking when you’re on the brink.” Poplawski fi gures to get help this year from a freshman class that’s loaded with athletic midfi elders, plus the return of


Lindsey Smith and Tory Bensen from knee surgeries. Poplawski led Penn with a school-record 61 draw controls. She ranked second on the team in ground balls and caused turnovers per game, third on the team in goals and third in points per game. “To be a big player, you have to be a big player in the 30s. She’s 5-11 and so strong, she just has to go to goal,” Corbett said. “She became one of our best matchup defenders. She had the strength in the midfi eld to bring it up and down. She’s a complete middie.” Poplawski’s defensive focus was new. This year, she will add captain duties to her role. But it’s not much of a change after playing with just two seniors last year. With depth to help her, Poplawski could be even more effective. “Not having a ton of people have the


confi dence or the skills to step up like she did, we needed her,” Corbett said. “We need other kids to step up and take responsibility to play the schedule we play. She gained so much confi dence. She feels she can do anything right now, which is great.”


— J.F. A Publication of US Lacrosse


Maddie Poplawski  RIVAL COACHES SAY


“They haven’t had the dominating style of play they employed in their NCAA runs. If they can recapture the tenacity and swagger of yesteryear, they could make a run… Leitner was their backbone. I know they have the transfer [Lucy Ferguson], but Leitner carried them in many ways.”


 TOP RETURNER M Maddie Poplawski (Sr.) Poplawski won more draws than any returning Ivy Leaguer. She can cover an opponent’s best player and is a serious scoring threat to boot. After a breakout campaign in 2012 that culminated in All- American accolades, she sets the standard for the Quakers.


 X-FACTOR A Meredith Cain (Sr.) Cain moves from midfi eld to attack to help compensate for the loss of Erin Brennan. “She’s a great shooter, she’s a great cutter, and she’s become a great dodger,” Corbett said. “She can be good in our trap. Getting her where she doesn’t have to play defense, she’s going to really shine.”


Look for a breakout season from senior Caroline Bunting, a third-year starter on attack. “She has all the potential in the world,” Corbett said.


6


 PROJECTED STARTERS


A Caroline Bunting (Sr.) * G: 23 A: 7


A Meredith Cain (Sr.) * G: 32 A: 43


A Lindsey O’Loughlin (So.) * G: 4


A: 2


A Courtney Tomchik (Jr.) * G: 28 GB: 14


M Shannon Mangini (Jr.) * GB: 18 G: 14


M Maddie Poplawski (Sr.) * G: 29 DC: 61


M Lindsey Smith (Jr.) GB: 29 CT: 10


(from 2011)


D: Taylor Foussadier (So.) * CT: 12 GB: 17


D Meg Markham (So.) * GB: 21 CT: 7


D Allie Martin (Jr.) * GB: 10 CT: 9


D Lydia Miller (Jr.) * GB: 21 CT: 9


G Lucy Ferguson (So.) SPG:10.12 SV%: 45.7 (at William & Mary)


* returning starters  TELLING NUMBER


streak. “We had no depth in the midfield,” Corbett said. “I’m shocked we won the Ivy League.” February 2013 >> LACROSSE MAGAZINE 71


Consecutive Ivy regular- season titles for Penn, two shy of Harvard’s record


©JOHN STROHSACKER (MP); ©WILLIAM & MARY (LF); ©KEVIN P. TUCKER (CB)


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