Penn's Corcoran a force in women's lacrosse

Many people contributed to the ninth regular-season Ivy League women's lacrosse title in the last 10 years for Penn, but a big assist goes to senior attack Nina Corcoran.

Make that several assists.

Corcoran, who on Wednesday was named the Ivy League attacker of the year, leads the nation with 48 assists and 3.2 assists per game for the 12-3 Quakers, who are ranked No. 12 in the most recent Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association poll.

As with anybody who dishes to teammates with such stunning regularity, Corcoran is often thinking a play or two ahead of the opposition.

"She has tremendous vision," said Penn coach Karin Corbett, who was named Ivy League coach of the year. "She sees sometimes that a kid is open before that player realizes she is open."

Corcoran, who is from Sacred Heart Academy in Long Island, N.Y., likes to pass off the credit for her success the way she passes in a game.

"It is an awesome feeling, but I wouldn't be able to get this without my teammates and coaches," she said about the Ivy League honor.

Her teammates know that, when playing with Corcoran, they have to keep alert, because a pass could zip by at any time, threaded through the smallest of windows.

"She always has her head up and is always looking for the next play and is out there to make everybody else better," said teammate Iris Williamson, a fellow all-Ivy League selection and product of Germantown Friends. "She is one of the most selfless players I ever played with."

Corcoran owns the Penn career mark with 117 assists, breaking a school record that stood since 1983. Yet she hasn't abandoned her scoring duties. This season she has 21 goals.

That's not bad for somebody who never played attack until late in her freshman season. Corcoran was always a midfielder before going to Penn and wasn't seeing a lot of playing time as a freshman at that position, until a Penn attack was injured.

"We saw some of the things she could do offensively, so we decided to try her there," Corbett said. "She has just blossomed at that position and has been our quarterback the last couple of years."

Penn will be the top seed when the Quakers host the Ivy League tournament semifinals Friday at Franklin Field.

At 4 p.m., No. 3-seeded Cornell will meet No. 2 Princeton. Penn will face No. 4 Harvard at 7 p.m. with the winners playing Sunday in the championship game at 11 a.m.

The tournament champion will earn the Ivy League's automatic NCAA bid.

Regardless of how Penn fares in the Ivy tournament, the Quakers still appear headed to the 24-team NCAA tournament, which will conclude with the semifinals and championship May 27 and May 29 at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, home of the Union.

Penn has earned nine consecutive NCAA tournament berths.

As her career is winding down, Corcoran wants to make one lasting impression.

"It is our last go, so we're leaving it all out on the field," she said.

In keeping with her selfless demeanor, she said she had no preference when it came to scoring or assisting.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "As long as the ball is in the back of the net, that is the only thing that counts."

mnarducci@phillynews.com

@sjnard