Freshman midfielder Leo Hoffman looks to pass in a game against Harvard on Apr. 13.
Credit: Grace ChenLeo Hoffman would have always been successful. He arrived at Penn men's lacrosse as a five-star recruit, ranked sixth in the country by Inside Lacrosse, following an intense campaign for his services by multiple schools. The freshman midfielder was a key part of the Quakers’ 2023 recruiting class, which would hopefully push Penn over the top to true national championship contention.
So far, he’s lived up to it. Hoffman has started in seven games for the Quakers, in addition to six more substitute and rotational appearances. He has four goals and three assists this campaign, helping the Quakers back to the Ivy League Tournament and a ranked position in national polls. He’s been a key contributor to the team’s efforts.
Most importantly, Hoffman isn’t alone. Multiple other freshmen have been impactful this 2024 season. Midfielder Anthony McMullan has appeared in 12 games and scored three goals off of just six shots. Midfielder Jacob Pacheco is also a regular piece for the Quakers, playing in a dozen games so far this season. Despite having plenty of veterans on the team, this class of freshmen have been crucial to the team’s success this spring.
But, for Hoffman, this work started long before the season did in February. Since last summer, the team has been training and developing camaraderie along with physical skills. Hoffman finds both of these things crucial to his success on the field.
“Being so close to a bunch of these guys so early on, it gives you a lot of confidence and friendships early on, and I think that translates to the lacrosse field,” he said. “We're willing to do anything for our best friends in the world. And that's coming to practice each and every day and focusing on the little things and really grinding hard in the fall.”
Additionally, this bond among teammates can help with the adjustment to the collegiate game. Hoffman said that there are added levels of physicality and speed that weren’t there in high school, and that Penn prides itself on having good speed and flow as a team.
Pacheco found the transition to college-level lacrosse and academics to be difficult at times. Despite this, he credits the work put in during the fall, saying, “there’s a lot of development in that first semester” and that “playing the sport you love and also being a good student [is] something that you figure out relatively quickly.”
All three of the freshmen credited the strong bonds they developed with veterans on the team as helping their development in the fall. McMullan emphasized that he’d had some communication with other members of the freshman class before arriving on campus. However, once he made it to Philadelphia, the entire team was more than willing to connect with the new group, helping them adjust to their new environment both on and off the field.
When the season began, the extended amount of time on the field surprised some of the freshmen. Pacheco in particular came into the season with lower expectations.
“To be completely honest, I had no idea I was going to be playing as much as I am,” he said. “We have a lot of really, really talented players and I just went out there and put my best foot forward. And it's worked out for me so far.”
For McMullan, seeing the field meant changing his position. In high school, he played more on offense, but coach Mike Murphy helped transition him into more of a defensive role while still playing with a short stick. McMullan is happy about the change, both in terms of how it’s led to him seeing the field this year, but also with what it means for the rest of his Quaker career. If he were to transition back to being a traditional, two-way midfielder, the additional defensive acumen gained this season could strengthen his game.
When looking back on his season so far, Hoffman emphasized the role of older teammates in helping him learn to compete and adjust to Franklin Field. In spite of a solid individual season so far, he remains focused on team goals and doing whatever it takes to help the Quakers succeed.
And even as the calendar flips to May, these freshmen will have more chances to do that. After a 4-2 conference season, Penn is set to face Cornell this Friday in the Ivy League Tournament semifinals. If the Quakers win, they’ll keep playing. And, for the freshmen, this means another game to extend an already solid opening to their Penn careers.
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