Nov. 1, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Second year Penn State women's lacrosse head coach Missy Doherty has announced that seniors Dana Cahill (Towson, Md.) and Theresa Zichelli (Severna Park, Md.) will serve as team captains for the 2012 season. The duo will lead a Nittany Lion squad that returns 16 letterwinners and five starters and has been bolstered by a top 10 nationally ranked recruiting class.
In 2011, Cahill established herself as one of the nation's top goalkeepers, earning First Team All-West/Midwest Region and All-ALC honors in addition to being named ALC Goalkeeper of the Year.
Anchoring a Penn State defense that ranked among the nation's top 20 for much of the season, the two-time ALC Defensive Player of the Week had several standout performances that highlighted her first season as a starter. In an 11-10 double overtime win over rival Ohio State, Cahill recorded 14 saves, including several late in regulation that allowed the Nittany Lions to come from behind to tie and then later win the game. She earned National Defensive Player of the Week recognition from Synapse Sports following her 13-save effort in an 11-8 upset of Vanderbilt on March 20. In helping Penn State to its fifth consecutive opening round ALC Championship win, a 17-11 rout of Johns Hopkins, Cahill notched a career-high 15 saves.
Cahill finished the 2011 season with a 9.95 goals against average, a .466 save percentage, 150 saves, and a team-high 47 ground balls.
A two-year starter in the midfield, the versatile Zichelli is a force on both ends of the field for Penn State. Last season, she took on a more defensive role than her previous two years in Happy Valley but still totaled 17 points on 11 goals and a career-high 6 assists. She ended the year ranked second in the team in draw controls (27) and caused turnovers (18) and third in ground balls (34), all single season personal bests.
In 2010, Zichelli scored a career-high 24 goals, including seven on free position attempts, ranking fourth on the team. She finished her sophomore season strong, scoring at least one goal in the final 11 games, highlighted by a four-goal performance versus Vanderbilt.
Playing in all 52 games since her freshman season, the durable and consistent Zichelli has tallied 54 goals and 10 assists (64 points) for her career and tops all current players in ground balls (76), draw controls (66), and caused turnovers (42).
After scrimmaging Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y. on February 12, Penn State will begin regular season play on Wednesday, Feb. 15 when it visits Bucknell for a 4 p.m. contest. The Nittany Lions will open at home four days later on Sunday, Feb. 19 when they host 2011 national runner-up and 2010 national champion Maryland in a 1 p.m. clash.