Senior defender guarantees Big East tournament berth

After narrowly missing out on a postseason berth last year, Rutgers women’s lacrosse senior defender Emily Penn turned serious when asked about the Scarlet Knights’ aspirations for the upcoming season.
“We will make the Big East tournament,” she said.
It wasn’t a question and it wasn’t a goal — it was a statement of fact. Confidence is high this season for the Knights, who sport a roster that returns four of its five top goal scorers from last season.
RU was tabbed to finish sixth in the Big East Preseason Poll, ahead of Connecticut, Cincinnati and Villanova. But with the prospect of playing in the tournament — which will be hosted at Rutgers this season — on the line, the team is determined to let nothing stand in its way after last year’s disappointing 7-9 finish.
“Home field advantage is definitely a big thing for us,” said senior attack and co-captain Brooke Cantwell.
Cantwell, the team’s leading scorer last season with 32 goals and six assists, was named to the preseason All-Big East squad. The senior headlines a Knights squad that faces perennial top-20 teams in Cornell, Princeton, Syracuse, Georgetown and Notre Dame.
“[Our schedule] is something that we look forward to because we know we can’t let our guard down or think we have it in the bag,” Cantwell said. “It definitely gives us more incentive in practice.”
The Knights played pieces of strong games last season but fell short of putting the final product together.
Rutgers dropped a four-overtime thriller against No. 16 Cornell in Ithaca and fell by a single goal two games later to No. 6 Princeton. Couple those with a pair of narrow losses against Denver and Louisville and last year’s Knights could have finished with an 11 win campaign.
But the team is determined not to let history repeat itself.
“As a coaching staff we’ve made some changes over the summer and decided there were things we needed to be more accountable for as a staff,” said head coach Laura Brand-Sias. “We’ve tried to raise the bar and push the team to a higher level.”
RU added seven freshmen to the mix this season, highlighted by midfielder Stephanie Anderson.
Named to the Under Armor All-American Lacrosse Team last season, Anderson garnered MVP honors at the All-American fall classic and led her team to three straight championships. The midfielder — whose sister Kristen is a junior attack for the Knights — was recognized by Inside Lacrosse Magazine as the eighth best rising senior in the nation heading into last year.
While the Knights will miss the midfield presence and leadership of Michelle Poole and scoring of attack Nina Frankoski, the biggest void will be the one left by departed goalkeeper Sandra Abel.
Abel started all 16 games for RU last season and posted 144 saves and a .469 save percentage.
In her stead, RU brought in freshman goalkeepers Lily Kalata and Aimee Chotikul. Sophomore transfer Michelle Zaffuto, from Saint Joseph’s, is also listed as a goalkeeper in the preseason.
“I think in terms of the goalie situation you can’t replace experience,” Brand-Sias said. “There will be some bumps along the way and that will be expected.”
But experience abounds on the rest of the field, with three senior captains in Penn, Cantwell and midfielder Faith Richards.
Richards — entering her second straight year as captain — paces the midfielders along with classmate Mary Cryan while Penn and senior Karie McGuire anchor the Knights’ defensive unit.
And it is that type of experience that Brand-Sias hopes will help the Knights as they prepare for their games in one of the most competitive conferences in the nation.
“Obviously, the Big East is going to offer us competition every year,” she said. “We’re here to win championships and we’re here to get to a spot where we can represent Rutgers on a national level in the NCAA tournament. That’s not going to happen with a cake schedule. It’s a challenge every year but that’s what you’re an athlete for, you’re here to step up to the challenge.”

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