UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. –Kelly Daggett thought she knew what was coming at the start of her senior season at Penn State. Daggett had become used to patrolling that end of the field after spending last year on defense and rarely seeing an attack opportunity.
But in early January, just about a month before the start of the regular season, she was approached by head coach Missy Doherty and told she'd be returning to the midfielder position she had become so comfortable with throughout her first two years on campus.
"Kelly has been a versatile player for four years," Doherty said. "We moved her back to the midfield this year and she's contributing at both ends for us. Thankfully, she went down there last year to solidify the defense a little bit, but she's back at the middy role now."
Daggett, while a little surprised by the move at first, understands the midfield role more from a defensive angle now that she has spent some time at the back.
"It's definitely a change. I wasn't really expecting it because in the fall I played defense," Daggett said. "It's just sort of going back to freshman and sophomore year and it gives me a nice, different perspective because I now see the defensive side of it. I know what the defense wants me to do and I can work backwards from that and be a better attacker."
The need for Daggett's original move came last year, when the Nittany Lions had a rather youthful set of defenders. Her proficiency all over the field made her an easy choice when it was time for Doherty to make a switch.
"We thought we had some more stability with a couple other low defenders," Doherty said. "She's always been a really good midfielder, but we were so young at defense last year that we thought we needed some maturity and experience there to help the young players along. Now that most of those players are back this year, we're able to get her back into the midfield."
Now back in the midfield, Daggett has regained her scoring prowess early after scoring only three goals all of last season. She's come out strong in 2019, scoring two goals in each of the Nittany Lions' first two contests.
"It was great because initially I was really nervous about (scoring goals)," Daggett said. "I didn't really practice it in the fall, so coming out strong at the beginning has been great for me. I sort of missed that last year when I didn't have any goals or anything. While I felt really comfortable on defense, now I'm sort of getting back into my natural ability of running with the ball and being on attack."
After spending most of her career at the midfield position, Daggett is excited to get back to the position that fits her the most naturally.
"I'm just getting used to being all over the field again, I used to have a break when the ball would go on the other side of the field and now I don't. Just getting back to being involved in all parts of the game and finishing the goal."
The Nittany Lions' deep and balanced scoring attack has also aided Daggett, something that will be critical throughout the entire season. Ten different Nittany Lions have at least four points on the season, led by Madison Carter's 19 on 15 goals and four assists.
"We have a lot of different scorers coming out," Daggett said. "Last year, it was just a handful of people with a lot of goals, but now we have a lot of people with a handful of goals. We have freshmen stepping up, and we just sort of look good all-around."
The team is focused on its chemistry this year and everyone is doing their part to make sure that they are as cohesive as possible.
"Lauren Craft sits beside me in the locker room every day," Daggett said. "She's great, she's really stepped up as a freshman. I never thought I'd be close friends with a freshman. We always have great chemistry, but this year we started from the fall and we're just really great friends on and off the field and we're always looking to put the work in at practice."
Daggett appreciates the camaraderie among the team because it shows a sense of urgency, something that she feels, knowing she only has one more crack at every team on the schedule.
"It's been hitting me recently, when I see our schedule and we have games and you see a win in our column and that's it," Daggett said. "Like that's the last time I'll play Cornell and the last time I'll play Loyola. It just puts a different perspective on things and I'm ready to put 100 percent into each game because I know it's my last season."
That mentality comes with a desire to finish strong, and this class has tasted success and wants nothing more than to get back to the biggest stage in college lacrosse.
"We don't want to get ahead of ourselves, we're taking things one game at a time," Daggett said. "But personally, our senior class has been to two Final Fours. That didn't happen last year, but it would be great to go out on that this season."
Daggett and the rest of the Nittany Lions have a chance to move to 4-1 on the year on Saturday when they head to Loyola for a noon start.
