No. 10 Maryland women’s lacrosse at No. 24 Penn preview

No. 10 Maryland women’s lacrosse extended its win streak to four games when it defeated Rutgers, 16-8, on Saturday.

It was the Terps’ first Big Ten matchup of the season, and one that they controlled from the first draw control to the last buzzer. Once more, the defense shined bright, allowing fewer than 10 goals for the sixth straight game.

Now the Terps will face off against their first Ivy League opponent, as they travel to Philadelphia to face No. 24 Penn.

So far this season, the Quakers have been steady, winning all their expected matchups and losing only to No. 8 Loyola (Md.) and No. 22 Jacksonville. Penn kicked off its 2023 campaign with a 21-1 victory against La Salle. It succeeded this with a 13-12 overtime win at No. 16 Johns Hopkins.

Wednesday’s game will begin at 5 p.m. and stream on ESPN Plus.

Penn Quakers (4-2, 2-0 Ivy)

2022 record: 6-9, 3-4 Ivy

Head coach Karin Corbett has certainly racked up the accolades over the course of her 24 seasons coaching Penn women’s lacrosse. Under her leadership, the Quakers have accumulated 244 wins, 11 Ivy League titles, three Final Fours and one championship game. In 2007, Corbett was named the National Coach of the Year by IWLCA and Inside Lacrosse.

Players to know

Izzy Rohr, senior defender, No. 6 — Rohr missed the entirety of last season due to an injury. However in 2020, as a freshman, Rohr was one of Penn’s key contributors on defense, starting in all five games. She caused five turnovers, picked up four ground balls and had one draw control. After Penn’s first game of this season, Rohr earned Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors. In the match, she forced a game-high four turnovers and had a team-high three ground balls.

Kaitlyn Cumiskey, junior midfielder, No. 9 — In just four games this season, Cumiskey has scored nine goals, picked up nine ground balls, won eight draw controls and caused four turnovers. Last season, she was fifth on the team in total points, third in draw controls and first in caused turnovers.

Niki Miles, senior attacker, No. 23 — Miles currently leads Penn and is ninth in the Ivy League in points per game with 3.33. In 2022 she was a team captain, playing in all 15 games and leading the team with 34 points. She also added 10 caused turnovers, nine ground balls and two draw controls to last year’s campaign.

Strength

Offense. The Quakers lead the Ivy League in goals per game (14.17) and assists per game (6.5). In addition, they’ve racked up the second-most shots per game in the conference thus far with 33.67. They also have the second most woman-up goals per game with 1.67. This output has occurred despite the offense’s shooting percentage, which is second to last in the Ivy League (.421).

Weakness

Tough opponents. It’s true — Penn’s only win against a ranked opponent required a fourth-quarter comeback and overtime score. In its other two matchups against ranked programs, it fell behind and was unable to regain position. Against No. 8 Loyola, the Quakers were behind 6-0 after the first quarter. If the Terps jump out to an early lead, it may be tough for Penn to stay in the game.

Three things to watch

1. Balanced team versus balanced team. The Terps have found their rhythm 10 games into the season. Not only has the defense transformed into arguably the best in the nation, but the offense has done its fair share of work. The rise of Kori Edmondson and return of Hannah Leubecker have done wonders for the squad.

Penn has also been firing on all cylinders on offense, as mentioned above. In addition, its defense has put on an impressive display through six games. The Quakers lead the Ivy League in ground balls per game (21.33), are second in caused turnovers per game (9.5), and are third in draw controls per game (14.5).

2. Maryland’s shooting mentality. One of the things that Penn has not been especially great at this season is its save percentage, which is .381 and bottom three in the conference. However, it is masked due to the lack of shots that the Quaker defense allows. Penn’s goalkeeper has had to make the second-least amount of saves per game this year with 6.17.

If the Terrapin offense pelters the cage with shot attempts, there’s a good chance they will come out on top, especially since they have improved dramatically in that area. Against Rutgers, Maryland had 16 scores on 23 shots on goal.

3. What style of offense will we see? Depending on the opponent, Maryland has gone with one of two contrasting styles of offense. Both have had varying degrees of success. Sometimes, as seen against Rutgers, the Terps utilized quick ball movement and cutting, leading to scoring opportunities. Other times, Maryland has been physical and aggressive, often attempting to power its way through opposing programs’ zone defense. In the end, it will come down to what type of defense Penn decides to deploy.