PHILADELPHIA – At long last, the University of Pennsylvania women's lacrosse team will begin its highly-anticipated 2020 season in search of revenge against the very team which cut short its NCAA title run last year. Penn will open things up at No. 19 Georgetown on Saturday, Feb. 15 with first draw slated for 1 p.m.
GAME 1 – No. 12 PENN (0-0) at No. 19 GEORGETOWN (1-0)
Saturday, Feb. 15 | 1 p.m.
Cooper Field | Washington, D.C.
Watch | Live Stats
Series History
The Quakers will square up against the Hoyas for just the ninth time, with all meetings coming since the 2012 season. Penn holds a 6-2 series advantage against Georgetown and the two sides met a pair of times a year ago and split one-goal results. In the regular season, the Quakers rallied back from a 7-6 second-half deficit to win 8-7 after a pair of goals from Zoe Belodeau. The Hoyas earned revenge, though, as a double-overtime goal gave them a 13-12 victory in the first round of the NCAA Championships.
Season-Opening Success
Penn is 17-3 in season openers under head coach Karin Corbett dating back to 2000 and have opened each of its last six campaigns with a win. Three of those six wins came on the road. Penn has started its season on the road nine times since Corbett took over in 2000, posting an 8-1 record including seven consecutive victories.
Great Expectations
The 2020 campaign begins with Penn ranked in multiple national polls. The Quakers enter the weekend ranked No. 12 in the IWLCA Preseason Coaches' Poll, No. 9 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Preseason Top-20, and No. 16 in the Inside Lacrosse Division I Media Poll.
National Notoriety
Gabby Rosenzweig and Erin Barry enter their senior years with plenty watching. The pair both earned preseason Alll-America honors from Inside Lacrosse, including a third-team selection for Rosenzweig and an honorable mention honor for Barry. Both also landed on the Tewaaraton Award watch list, announced on Thursday night.
All-Ivy Returners
Penn returns seven of its eight All-Ivy selections in 2019, including unanimous first-team selections Barry, Rosenzweig, and fellow first-team selection Zoe Belodeau. Second-team selections Chelsea Kibler, Abby Bosco, and Mikaila Cheeseman, as well as honorable mention Michaela McMahon round out the seven.
Simply the Best
Rosenzweig enters her final season with the Red and Blue on the doorstep of a trio of program records. After setting the single season record for points (98) and assists (63) last season, Rosenzweig will look to break the career marks for both categories this season. She ranks second in career points with 225 and second in career assists with 115. She is just 12 points and a dozen assists shy of tying the program mark.
On the Attack
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this 2020 team is the wealth of attacking talent in its arsenal. The Quakers return all 12 of the players who found the back of the net last season and are the only team in the nation with 100 percent of their goal-scoring output back for the 2020 campaign.
Covering the Cage
Cheeseman returns to guard the goal for her senior season after starting all 18 games for the Quakers last season. The senior made 124 saves and posted a save percentage of .458 last year—the third-best save percentage among starting Ivy League goalkeepers.
A Glimmer of Georgetown
Georgetown enters the weekend with a game already under its belt after opening its season last weekend with a 19-5 win over Saint Joseph's. The Hoyas went 12-9 last season and were bounced from the NCAA Championships after a 14-8 second-round defeat to Syracuse. Georgetown was selected to finish second in the BIG EAST Preseason Media Poll behind conference rivals, Denver.
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