In first grade gym class, Emma Penczek picked up a lacrosse stick for the first time, and the two have been virtually inseparable ever since.
Penczek, a junior at Manchester Valley High School, is one with her stick, according to Mavericks coach Shelly Brezicki.
With it, Penczek is able to simultaneously dazzle spectators, flummox opponents and drop the jaws of even those who know her the best. It’s a virtual magic wand in her hand.
“She is able to do things, I don’t even know how she does them,” Brezicki said.
Last spring, Penczek authored one of the greatest single seasons in the history of Maryland high school lacrosse as a sophomore in leading Manchester Valley to its fourth state championship overall and first since 2016.
The unbeaten Mavericks overcame a two-goal halftime deficit and beat Middletown, 15-7, in the Class 2A championship game last May at Stevenson University in Owings Mills.
Penczek scored nine goals in that game, tying the state record for goals in a state title game and capping a statistical season for the ages. She finished with 94 goals, 43 assists, 129 draw controls and even forced 37 turnovers. She was named The Baltimore Sun‘s All-Metro girls’ lacrosse Player of the Year.
College scholarship offers began to pour in. Penczek visited Clemson, Maryland, North Carolina and Syracuse and wound up choosing Clemson in September.
“That season is one that I will remember forever. It is unforgettable,” Penczek said. “It’s still so surreal that that all happened and with that group of girls. It’s just even more special … It just sits with you and stays with you.”
With a new season set to begin in March, Penczek is focused on being even better, as difficult as it might seem.
“I definitely feel some dodging and defensive slides. Everyone has something to improve on,” she said. “Maybe some cuts [to the goal] here and there.”
Since Manchester Valley graduated four of their seven starting defenders, Penczek will have more responsibilities on that end of the field, according to Brezicki.
Last season, Penczek played alongside two seniors in the midfield. This season, she will be one of the older and more experienced players in that position group. As such, her leadership role will continue to evolve.
“For our team, Emma is obviously someone everyone in our program looks up to because of her work ethic and how hard she works,” Brezicki said.
“Everyone is going be wowed and excited for what she is able to do,” the coach added. “But I also think [teammates] look to her when things aren’t going well on the field. And her ability to lead them with poise and be sportsmanlike and be controlled in her emotions is something that is really important. They look to her.”
Part of what endears Penczek to her teammates is her unselfishness. She is always willing to make the pass and share the credit. She is not one who gets caught up in her own hype and accolades.
“I just know that it’s not an individual sport,” Penczek said. “It’s based around a team. We are just doing it for each other and with each other.”
At the end of the day, lacrosse remains just a game to Penczek, and not really anything more than that.
“Her athletic ability, her IQ, her skill, all that makes her the total package that she is,” Brezicki said. “But you just don’t find a ton of players that have that kind of ability and the ability to stay poised, to stay in control, to lead and to be able to cherish the moment for what it is, and this is just one of many moments.
“A lot of times, pressure gets to these kids and you see them break down, whether it’s physically on the field or mentally off the field. I think, a lot of times, a player of her caliber could think very much about what I need to do versus what we need to do. She is able to look at it and go, ‘OK, I can grow from this. I can learn from this.’ But, at the end of the day, it’s just a game of lacrosse.”
Photo Credit: Skeen Images
Issue 285: February/March 2024
Originally published Feb. 21, 2024