Penn women's lacrosse huddles up during a game against Cornell on April 15, 2023.
With the spring season right around the corner, the Penn women’s lacrosse team is gearing up to defend its crown as reigning Ivy League champions.
Following a dominant season that saw the Red and Blue go undefeated in conference play en route to the program’s 14th Ivy League crown and first appearance in the second round of the NCAA women's lacrosse championship since 2018, the Quakers enter 2024 as a team to beat. The USA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Rankings have Penn ranked 15th in the nation entering the season, making it the highest-ranked Ivy League team.
A trio of players were also highlighted by the USA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Rankings. Junior midfielder Anna Brandt and senior defender Izzy Rohr were named to the second team, while senior attacker Niki Miles was named to the honorable mention team. All three players started all 19 games last season and played a major role in the team’s success and were named unanimously to the First-Team All-Ivy.
Miles led the team in points scored, finishing the season with 63 goals and 15 assists, setting a program record for goals scored in a single season. Her strong showing led to a unanimous selection as the Ivy League Attacker of the Year in addition to USA Lacrosse Magazine Honorable Mention All-American and Inside Lacrosse Honorable Mention All-America honors.
In the midfield, Brandt similarly had a career year, notching 54 goals scored in addition to four assists — an amount that saw her finish the season as the second-highest scorer in the Ivy League, with only her teammate Miles scoring more. Brandt was named Ivy League Midfielder of the Year and was also recognized by Inside Lacrosse as an Honorable Mention All-American.
While the other two dominated on the attacking end of the field, Rohr held it down for the Quakers on the defensive front. After missing the previous two seasons due to injuries, Rohr announced her presence immediately in the lineup. She would finish the season with a league-leading 25 caused turnovers en route to recognition as the unanimous Ivy League Defender of the Year. Rohr was also named an Inside Lacrosse Honorable Mention All-American as well as a USA Lacrosse Magazine Honorable Mention All-American.
The three will be looking to lead the team to yet another dominant performance as Penn is set to open its season at home against cross-city rival Drexel on Friday, Feb. 17 at 3:30 pm.
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