US Lacrosse Magazine released the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Women’s Preseason Top 20 on Jan. 8. Team-by-team previews will be unveiled on uslaxmagazine.com throughout January and will also appear as part of the magazine’s NCAA preview edition that mails to US Lacrosse members Feb. 1 — opening day of the 2018 college lacrosse season.

No. 4 Penn State

2017 Record: 17-4 (5-1 Big Ten)
Coach: Missy Doherty (8th year)

All-Time Record: 527-253-5
NCAA Appearances: 23
Final Fours: 11
Championships: 2

Penn State is back.

One of two teams to make the last two NCAA championship weekends, the Nittany Lions will aim to make it three straight with many new faces.

Six key starters have graduated, which has depleted depth at defense and goalie along with last year’s assist leader (Steph Lazo).

“They’re definitely hard to replace,” coach Missy Doherty said. “That’s the fun part of coaching, figuring out the next strength and where players fit. I don’t think we’re necessarily replacing them, but the style becomes a little different.”

Penn State returns 21 letter-winners and will lean on its high-octane offense. Last year’s team set single-season school records for goals (303) and points (427). Fueling the offense this year are returning All-Americans Katie O’Donnell and Madison Carter. Those two combined for 135 goals in 2017 and are poised for tremendous seasons.

O’Donnell reprises her role as a captain in 2018 and has steadily improved her goal total in each season she’s played (31 as a freshman 46 as a sophomore and 65 as a junior). She owns a lifetime 44.5 shooting percentage, while adding 10 career game-winning goals.

“Katie does a great job of making the clutch plays when the game is on the line,” Doherty said. “She is, a lot of the times, the person that has made the final play, the final goal or a huge play to get the ball for us.”

Carter had a historic 2017 season by becoming the first Nittany Lion to score 70 goals since 1989 (Tami Worley, 78). Coupled with 130 draw controls, Carter’s impact will be a vital to Penn State’s ultimate goal of a national championship.

“As she’s gotten older she has definitely gotten bumped around and knocked around a lot more, and that doesn’t rattle her,” Doherty said. “She just stays focused and competes, which is why she’s one of the more consistent players that we have.”

Maria Auth, who came on strong with seven goals in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, and Kristen Roberto are primed for breakout seasons.

“Maria Auth really came on late in the season last year and had some crucial goals for us in NCAAs,” Doherty said. “And Kristen Roberto is a quick midfielder for us, who is emerging from a role player into an impact player.”

The questions arise on defense. Just one full-time defensive starter remains, senior Lucy Haubold (29 starts in two seasons). Sophomore Hayley DeAgostine is the next most experienced defender after seeing time in all 21 games with four starts. Additionally, Penn State graduated its starting goalie, leaving Madison Cunningham (one career start) as the only goalie with any experience.

“We have to get experience,” Doherty said. “That’s the one thing that we’re just going to have to deal with throughout the season with our young defense and young goalkeeping.”

The Case For Penn State

Doherty’s teams have shown steady improvement since her arrival in Happy Valley. Penn State has supplemented dynamic players like Carter and O’Donnell with productive scorers. The Nittany Lions return 67 percent of their offense and six of their top eight scorers.

The Case Against Penn State

Penn State’s inexperience on defense — just one full-time defensive starter (senior Lucy Haubold) remains from 2017 — is disconcerting. There’s also a void in goal. Sophomore Madison Cunningham has just one career start. That greenness will be tough to overcome while navigating a tough schedule that features high-scoring teams like Stony Brook and Maryland.

Path to the Playoffs

Doherty has once again set her team up to succeed with chances to pick up high-quality wins in addition to the always-tough Big Ten slate. Early season tests against Towson, Cornell, Loyola, James Madison and Albany are good segues into the meat of the schedule.

By mid-March, Penn State should have its identity on defense and be ready for Big Ten play and its toughest non-conference matchups. A seven-game stretch from mid-March to late April features six teams that finished in the top 18 in last year’s RPI including Maryland (1), Princeton (3) and Stony Brook (6).

A set of positive results could garner another hosting opportunity in the NCAA tournament. Penn State hasn’t lost a home game in the NCAA tournament since 2005, and both of its NCAA semifinal appearances were achieved with wins in Happy Valley the week prior.

Players To Watch

Madison Carter, A, Jr.
70 G, 130 DC

Carter could be the Tewaaraton Award winner this season, she’s that good. It will be difficult to top last year’s 70-goal season, but her impact goes beyond scoring. Taking down draw controls and earning possession for her team makes the offense click, which includes frequent trips to the 8-meter (41 attempts in 2017).

Katie O’Donnell, A, Sr.
65 G, 21 CT

O’Donnell’s numbers have improved every season, and it’s reasonable to think she could eclipse the 70 goals her teammate Madison Carter put up last season. A tremendous leader and do-it-all player, O’Donnell wills her team to victories with crucial late goals. O’Donnell is on pace to be Penn State’s first career 200-goal scorer in nearly 30 years, as she’s just 58 tallies away.

Maggie Gallagher, M, Sr.
39 PTS, 33 DC

A prime candidate to be the team’s facilitator, Gallagher is the team’s third-leading scorer returning from last year after posting career highs in goals (23) and assists (16). Gallagher has improved every year and last season she tripled her goal scoring and assists from sophomore year to junior year. Expect the senior midfielder to play a vital role.

National Rankings

Power Ratings (Scale of 1-5)

Offense
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Defense
⭐⭐⭐

Goalkeeping
⭐⭐

Draw
⭐⭐⭐⭐

180

Free-position attempts. Penn State had the second most free-position shots in all of NCAA Division I last season. The Nittany Lions drive hard to the net and create mismatches quite often. Penn State cashed in on 66 of those 180 chances last year (36.7 percent). If there’s improvement in this aspect of the game, Penn State will be hard to keep up with.

5-Year Trend
Scoring Offense

Coach Confidential
Missy Doherty

“As a coach, what I’m most curious about myself is who is going to emerge and who is really going to step up in our closest games. Every year I feel like we’re somewhat of an underestimated team in polls and lists. As long as we continue to perform, I’ll take it.”

Enemy Lines
Rival Coaches

“Does their attack find its balance without Lazo? … Penn State has strong drivers who are determined to get to goal, but can opponents shut them down 1v1? … Return two big-time midfielders in Katie O’Donnell and Madison Carter. ... Good energy and teamwork coming out of Happy Valley. ... They have their twin towers in O’Donnell and Carter. Such physical and tough competitors. ... Penn State just goes hard at you all the time. ... They are fast and athletic, and they have confidence. They don’t have a lot of weaknesses. This could be a big year for them.”