UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 25 Penn State women's lacrosse team is set to open the 2022 campaign on Wednesday, February 16 as the Nittany Lions travel to Philadelphia, Pa. to take on No. 19 Drexel.
The game is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. with a live stream on FloSports.TV.
Penn State, led by Head Coach Missy Doherty, is ranked 25th in the latest IWLCA/IL Poll. Last season with a Big Ten only slate, the Nittany Lions went 4-9 overall with three wins against ranked opponents (No. 7 Maryland 15-13, No. 13 Michigan 13-12 OT, No. 9 Maryland 16-9).
The Nittany Lions' non-conference matchup at Drexel begins a 4-game road trip with stops at Duquesne, Cornell and Loyola Maryland. PSU's home opener is set for March 9 vs. James Madison.
The team returns 22 players while adding one graduate transfer and seven freshmen.
SERIES HISTORY
Penn State is 8-0 all-time against Drexel, dating back to 1994. The Nittany Lions won the last matchup, 22-9, on March 14, 2018. The Blue and White have outscored the Dragons 120-46 in their eight-game history.
MEET THE DRAGONS
Drexel, led by first year head coach Kim Hillier, enters their game with PSU 1-0 after an 18-7 season opening win over Wagner.
Nine different players contributed to the scoring effort led by grad student Lucy Schneidereith who tallied four goals and two assists. The Dragons out-shot Wagner 44-15 (33-12 SOG).
The Dragon defense forced 16 caused turnovers led by grad transfer Maura Cissel who forced a team-high three caused turnovers while also picking up a team-high four ground balls. Her efforts got her recognized as the Colonial Athletic Association's Defensive Player of the Week.
NITTANY LIONS SELECT CAPTAINS
Senior Mary Muldoon and junior Rachel Spilker were elected captains by their teammates for the 2022 season. Both are Maryland natives with Muldoon hailing from Silver Spring, Md. and Spilker from Severna Park, Md.
Muldoon is entering her fourth year as a Nittany Lion. Last season as a junior she played in 13 games, making six starts while tallying 17 goals and six ground balls. She also posted five multi-goal games. In 2021, she was also one of seven players in the conference to receive the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Last season as a sophomore, Spilker appeared in eight games, making seven starts while recording 13 ground balls, two draw controls and 13 caused turnovers. This year marks her third season with the Nittany Lions.
THREE NAMED BIG TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH
Grad transfer Taylor Regan and sophomores Sammy Dupcak and Kristin O'Neill were named Big Ten Players to Watch for the 2022 season.
A transfer from Virginia where she played as an attacker from 2018-21, Regan will be playing her fifth year as a Nittany Lion. She appeared in 47 games for Cavaliers scoring 39 goals while adding 26 assists for 65 points.
Dupcak is set to start her sophomore campaign after playing in 13 games with 12 starts as a freshman last year. She recorded an assist, 17 ground balls, 28 draw controls and 10 caused turnovers.
Aiming to follow up her successful freshman season is O'Neill who collected numerous accolades in her 2021 collegiate debut headlined by Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She played in 13 games, making 12 starts while collecting 29 goals, eight assists, 18 ground balls, six draw controls and 15 caused turnovers.
KRISTIN O'NEILL ON TEWAARATON AWARD WATCH LIST
Kristin O'Neill was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List, which includes the top players across all three divisions of NCAA lacrosse and highlights the early contenders for the 2022 Tewaaraton Award.
O'Neill had a breakout season as a freshman last spring. She tied seventh among Division I freshmen averaging 2.23 goals per game and ranked seventh in the Big Ten averaging 1.15 caused turnovers per game. In total, she racked up 9 multi-goal games last season
The Odenton, Md. capped off a successful collegiate season debut by being awarded Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She was also named to the All-Big Ten Second Team and tabbed Big Ten Freshman of the Week five times last season.
CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENT
Head Coach Missy Doherty enters her 12th season leading the Nittany Lions. Her next win will mark her 200th career victory. She holds a 199-122 career record in 17 total seasons and a 120-76 record in 11 seasons at Penn State.
NEXT TIME OUT
The Nittany Lions remain on the road for their next three games stopping first at Duquesne on Feb. 23 for a 4 p.m. contest in Pittsburgh, Pa.
