2023 Women's Top 30: How Penn Fared vs. Projections

Before USA Lacrosse Magazine looks ahead to what’s to come in 2024, our team of staff and contributors decided it was worth taking one last look at 2023.

After all, you have to look at the most recent results before making projections for what’s to come. To do that, we’re taking a journey through the top 30 teams in men’s and women’s lacrosse — what went right, what went wrong and what we should all think of that team’s season.

Was it a success? A failure? A mixture of both? You’ll find out our thoughts over the next month or so.

PENN WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Nike/USA Lacrosse Preseason/Final Top 20 Ranking: Unranked/12
2023 record: 14-5 (7-0 Ivy League)

WHAT WENT RIGHT

Sitting at 5-4, Penn made its next nine games memorable. The Quakers won all nine, starting with Lehigh on April 4 and finishing with a win over UConn on May 12 in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Each unit found its stride during that run, ultimately leading to strong national finishes in scoring offense (21st, 14.11 goals per game), scoring defense (27th, 10.05 goals allowed per game) and scoring margin (T19th, 4.05 goals per game). Discipline was a key, as Penn finished with the 16th-fewest turnovers per game (12.68).

From an individual standpoint, Penn’s romp through the Ivy League was fueled by strong upperclass showings from Niki Miles (63 goals, 15 assists) and Maria Themelis (40 goals). A pair of sophomores — Anna Brandt and Erika Chung — made strides. Brandt scored 54 goals, second on the team to Miles, and Chung dished 38 assists.

WHAT WENT WRONG

It’s nitpicking, because Penn was largely strong across the field. And goalie play is hardly a reasonable excuse for four of Penn’s five losses. But the Quakers ranked 66th nationally in save percentage (41.8 percent), with Kelly Van Hoesen playing all but two minutes in 2023.

The only other thing that went wrong was largely out of Penn’s control. The Quakers were placed in the same pod as Boston College, the national finalist that ended Penn’s season in the second round of the NCAA tournament — albeit not without an impressive fight.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT

Penn secured its fourth Ivy League title and first since 2016 when Chung fed Brandt in overtime for a 15-14 win over Yale. Penn was undefeated in the Ivy League, including postseason play.

VERDICT

Penn was not on our radar entering 2023, mostly because 2022 (6-9) was forgettable and the program had played just six games combined in 2020-21 because of COVID restrictions. It was difficult to know just what Penn would look like. But the Quakers received great strides from young players, and the program’s veterans reversed course after a tough 2022. Penn appears set up to have a period of success atop the conference.