Will Power

Will Phillips is truly a rare breed.

In his four years with the Penn men's lacrosse program, Phillips has managed to combine rare athletic ability with an inspiring work ethic in becoming one of the most dominant all-around players in the Ivy League.

At the heart of the Quakers' offense this season, the tri-captain has led an attack ranked last in the Ivies in both goals per game and total points per game to a 5-3 record -- including thrilling victories over rivals Harvard and No. 9 Cornell. In doing so, Phillips' 29 goals and 10 assists rank fourth and ninth in the Ivies, respectively.

While Phillips' numbers are impressive, his unique ability to motivate and lead a relatively young Penn squad has been his greatest contribution.

"Coaching a guy like Will is one of the great parts of working at a school like Penn," Penn coach Brian Voelker explained. "There's always a ton of respect for a guy of his ability, but for him to come out day in and out and work as hard as he does, he's a great ambassador for our program."

On the field, Phillips' relentless work ethic sets a valuable example that his teammates can not help but admire.

"He's really intense every day -- in both practice and in games," fellow senior captain Pat Connelly said. "As a player, he makes you want to work harder, and it rubs off on everybody. Guys really follow his lead."

Growing up in Annapolis, Md., a region that traditionally supplies some of the nation's premier lacrosse athletes, Phillips did not play organized lacrosse until his freshman year at Annapolis High School. Despite his late arrival to the game, he earned a starting position as a freshman. As a sophomore, Phillips helped lead Annapolis to an elusive Maryland state championship.

"He was just a phenomenal athlete," Phillips' high school coach Bob Bohannon said. "He was able to learn the sport, and he never left the field. He was a hard-nosed leader every game for us."

Bohannon recalls a time when Phillips unknowingly punctured a lung during the course of a game but continued to play. After the game, he apologized to his coach for playing poorly, only later to find out about the injury.

While Phillips entered the Penn program as a midfielder under former coach Marc Van Arsdale, Voelker and his staff moved him to the attack position before his junior year in an attempt to solidify the team's offense.

Since the move, Phillips has amassed a 26-game point streak, and has used his understanding of the sport to become an integral part of the offensive attack.

"Will is a very confident player," Penn assistant coach Chris Malone said. "He's a guy who understands the game. It's like having another coach on the field."

Phillips' emergence this season into one of the Ivy League's most prolific scoring threats has brought excitement to the Penn lacrosse community. To senior captain David DeLaney, Phillips' success is a testament to his character.

"Will's everyone's favorite kid," he said. "I'll have friends from home hang out here and be like, 'That kid's the greatest.' The girls absolutely love him -- I think everybody in the world likes him."

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