April 17, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State freshman Maggie McCormick (Elderburg, Md.) has been selected as the ALC Rookie of the Week in addition earning WomensLax.com Rookie of the Week honors. She received the conference and national recognition for the second time this season for her standout play in road wins over Lehigh and No. 10 Ohio State.
On Wednesday, in a 15-3 rout of Lehigh, McCormick assisted on the game winner and scored one goal.
In Penn State's 15-12 victory over 10th-ranked Ohio State on Sunday, which was aired live on the Big Ten Network, McCormick had the best day of her young career in front of a national television audience. She totaled eight points, equaling teammate Mackenzie Cyr (Westminster, Md.) for the game high, recording four goals and four assists.
Down 4-2 in the first half, McCormick nearly single-handedly swung momentum in Penn State's favor, scoring three straight goals in the span of 1:55. She also netted a key goal late in the game, breaking an 11-11 tie with 15-plus minutes remaining. Three of McCormick's assists came on Cyr goals while her final one helped Penn State gain a key two-goal lead late in the game.
McCormick also combined to tally four draw controls, one ground ball, and one caused turnover for the week.
A starter of all 14 games this season, McCormick leads the Nittany Lions and is second in the nation among freshmen in assists with 23. With 42 total points, she ranks second on the team.
The Nittany Lions will begin a two-game home stand to finish out the regular season on Saturday when it welcomes ALC foe No. 18 Johns Hopkins (7-6, 0-3) to Penn State Lacrosse Field for a 1 p.m. game. The Blue Jays have dropped four straight, including a 16-12 road loss to No. 1 Northwestern on Sunday. A year ago, Penn State knocked off Johns Hopkins twice, claiming a 10-7 regular season win and a 17-11 victory in the first round of the ALC Championship