PHILADELPHIA - The No. 13 University of Pennsylvania women's lacrosse team opens the NCAA Championship on Friday afternoon in Massachusetts, taking on No. 21 UConn in the first round at Boston College.
 
GAME 18: PENN (13-4, 7-0 Ivy League) vs. UCONN (12-6, 4-2 Big East)
Friday, May 12 | 1:00 p.m.
Newton, Mass. | Newton Campus Lacrosse & Soccer Field
Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats | Game Notes
 
THE SERIES
• This is the first matchup between Penn and UConn in program history.
 
• If Penn should advance to the second round, it has played Boston College twice in program history. The Quakers have a 1-1 record against the Eagles, winning the last matchup in 2004 in Boston, 11-2.
 
PENN IN THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
• The Quakers are making their 16th appearance in the NCAA Championship in program history.
 
• It is the first appearance since 2016.
 
• Penn is 9-6 in first-round games in the NCAA Championship.
 
• Of the 15 appearances, the Quakers have made Championship Weekend three times, including a trip to the national title game in 2008.
 
• The three trips to the final weekend came in three straight years, 2007-09, all of which were under head coach Karin Corbett.
 
SEASON OF RECORDS
The Quakers have put on a show this season, and it shows in the program record book. With 13 wins, they currently sit in eighth all-time in victories. Although reaching the record of 17 games is still achievable, the more likely record in closer reach is goals in a season. Entering the weekend with 248 goals through 17 games, the Quakers' squad currently ranks second in program history and need just 14 more to top the record set in 2018 of 261. They are on a record pace, averaging 14.58 per game, a mark that is the best in program history.
 
MILES APPROACHING GREATNESS
Senior Niki Miles has quickly shot onto the scene this season offensively, leading the Ivy League with 71 points and 57 goals. To say she is leaving a mark this season in the program is an understatement. Her next goal would tie her with the program single-season scoring record of 58 set in 1981 by Julie Heller and then repeated in 2015 by Tory Bensen. Her 71 points also places her seventh all time, needing five more to enter the top five. In comparison, she has more than doubled her point total from 2022 (34), as she sits with 111 points for her three-year career (37 games).
 
Her season has come with a lot of recognition, and hopefully expecting more. She was named the unanimous Ivy League Attacker of the Year as well as unanimous first team. After an eight-point two-game performance in the Ivy League Tournament, she added All-Tournament to her resume before being named Honorable Mention All-American by USA Lacrosse Magazine on Tuesday.
 
CONSISTENCY FOR BRANDT
Sophomore Anna Brandt has been a catalyst for the Quakers the past two seasons in the midfield. Although 2022 was a year Penn wasn't used to, going under .500 for the first time since 2003, Brandt was a bright light for the future of the program with a team-leading 24 goals as a freshman. It was enough to earn her second-team nods in the Ivy League. In 2023, that light shined brighter. She ranks only behind Miles in scoring and points with 49 and 53, respectively. She also leads the team in draw controls with 55. Her 49 goals place her fourth in program history in a single season, while her 55 draws are fifth.
 
Like Miles, she has been decorated with awards to go along with her stellar season. She was named Ivy League Midfielder of the Year, a unanimous First-Team All-Ivy honoree, and All-Tournament.
 
FEAR THE ROHR
Penn has been one of the best scoring defenses throughout the season, holding opponents to 10.24 goals per game. Much of that success can be credited to the senior leadership of Izzy Rohr on the backline. After missing two seasons due to injury, she has bounced back in a big way in 2023, leading the Ivy League in caused turnovers (25) while adding 34 ground balls, second most on the team behind Sophie Davis (37).
 
Rohr cleaned up awards for her efforts, being selected the unanimous Ivy League Defender of the Year, unanimous First-Team All-Ivy, All-Tournament, and Honorable Mention All-American by USA Lacrosse Magazine.
 
COMMANDING THE OFFENSE
Sophomore Erika Chung, who only played in six game last season, has taken full control over the offense for the Quakers in 2023. Starting in all 17 games, she leads the Ivy League with 38 assists to go with 53 points, tied with Brandt for second-most on the team. She currently ranks fourth in program history for a single season with her 38 helpers, needing two more to break into the top three. She was also named to Second-Team All-Ivy, the first of her career.
 
REMEMBER THE NAME: MARIA THEMELIS
Junior Maria Themelis has not started any of the 17 games this season, but she won't be overlooked on the offensive end of the ball. The first one to touch the field out of the box, she has scored in the last 15 games for the Quakers, including turning it on in the Ivy League Tournament last weekend. She fired off a career- and game-high six goals in the title game on Sunday against Yale, leading the Quakers to an overtime victory and the program's fourth tournament title since the inaugural tournament in 2010. Her efforts earned her the tournament's Most Outstanding Player and All-Tournament, adding to her Second-Team All-Ivy nod.
 
ALL-TIME WINS LEADER
Coach Karin Corbett continues to prove she is one of the best coaches in the game in her 24th season with the Quakers. She can be credited for 253 of the program's 406 wins, eclipsing the 250 mark at Brown a few weeks back. A typical national powerhouse, the 2022 season was a down year, going 6-9. Corbett and her coaching staff flipped the script in 2023, entering the weekend at 13-4 and a perfect 7-0 tally in Ivy play. She has gotten the Quakers back to the NCAA Championship for the 16th time in program history, a squad she has taken there 14 of those times.
 
STACKING THE SCHEDULE
Like every other year, Penn puts together a tough non-conference schedule to prepare for an always tough Ivy slate. This year, the Quakers sport the 15th hardest schedule in terms of RPI. Through the regular season, they played seven nationally-ranked opponents: #16 Johns Hopkins, #8 Loyola, #22 Jacksonville, #10 Maryland, #8 Florida, #13 Yale, and #24 Princeton. Friday's matchup will make eight, taking on #21 UConn.