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January 4, 2009 E-MAIL PRINT

Spiro a surprise for Penn

by Roger Brown/

When Karin Brower watched Emma Spiro play lacrosse while Spiro was a student at Wellesley (Mass.) High School, Brower knew she was watching an Ivy League student. Was Spiro an Ivy League lacrosse player? That’s the question Brower kept asking herself.

Brower, who became the University of Pennsylvania’s women’s lacrosse coach in 2000, said Spiro was anything but a blue chip recruit. What Spiro did have was athletic ability — she was a three-sport athlete in high school — and in Brower’s mind, that translated into potential.

“I knew she was a very, very smart high school student who wouldn’t have any trouble getting into (Penn),” Brower said. “When we recruited her, we weren’t a great team. We thought she was a player who would take some time to develop.

“We always have kids who surprise us — kids who have a toughness to them. Sometimes we bring in kids with a clean slate and teach them the game. She was not a recruit who was going to improve our program in the first year.”

As it turned out, Spiro, now a junior, did help Penn improve during her freshman season. Her contributions were immediate and significant.

Spiro, a midfielder, appeared in each of Penn’s 18 games during the 2007 season, when the Quakers finished 16-2 following a loss to Northwestern in the final four. She scored nine goals in those 18 games.

“She was our first midfielder off the bench as a freshman, and we play a lot of midfielders to keep everyone fresh,” Brower said. “Emma came in with things we didn’t expect. She has a mental toughness to her. When she makes mistakes, she’s going to fix them. She’s driven, and she’s exceeded what we thought she could do.”

Spiro collected 18 goals and two assists in 18 games last season, when Penn reached the Division 1 championship game for the first time in the program’s history. Penn overcame a three-goal deficit in the second half to beat Duke, 9-8, in the national semifinals, and then dropped a 10-6 decision to Northwestern in the national championship game.

Spiro scored one of Penn’s six goals against Northwestern, which won its fourth straight national title.

“I knew I was not at the top of Karin’s or anyone else’s recruiting list,” Spiro said. “My skills were far below the other players when I came in. I had to rely on my athletic ability. Obviously, in Division 1 that’s not enough.

“Karin saw that I had a good attitude and she told me if I could keep up my good work ethic she could do the rest. I really owe everything to her and the other coaches here. They really had to teach me everything. Especially everything about playing defense.”

Spiro, an economics major, scored 262 goals and assisted on 92 others during her career at Wellesley High, where she also played basketball and soccer. She said Brown, Columbia and George Washington were among the schools she considered attending, but knew she was headed to Penn once she visited the campus.

Despite her gaudy offensive statistics in high school, Spiro said she prefers the defensive end of the field.

“It’s where I feel most comfortable,” she said. “I’m not a stat player. I’m very much a defensive-minded player.

“Defense has more of a team aspect. All it takes is one player to score a great goal, but you can’t prevent a goal unless all seven players are on the same page. I just love defense.”

Spiro said the biggest difference between high school and college lacrosse is the physical aspect of the game. In New England, there is limited contact in girls lacrosse at the high school level.

“It was actually an enormous jump for me, and that (physical play) was definitely the biggest transition,” Spiro explained. “Not only did my skills put me behind the other players, but I was the weakest player on the team. I wasn’t strong enough to make contact on defense.”

According to Brower, increased physical strength is one of the things that has allowed Spiro to succeed at the college level.

“The college game is different than many Massachusetts kids see,” Brower added. “The further south you go, the more contact is allowed. That makes it more like the college game. Massachusetts kids have a larger learning curve because they haven’t had the opportunity to play at a level the Southern kids have.

“When Emma first got here, she struggled in the weight room. She’s gotten bigger and stronger. She really looks like a Division 1 college athlete this year. That’s something I’ve noticed.”

Penn must replace seven starters from last year’s team, which means Spiro will have a larger role this season — especially in the offensive end.

When Brower looks at Spiro these days, she no longer sees an unheralded recruit with potential. Instead, she sees one of the cornerstones of her team.

“Last year I think Emma saw her role as: score a goal here or there but play steady defense,” Brower said. “We need her to score more goals this year.
“If she can reach the scoring goals she’s set for herself over the next two years she could become one of the best players I’ve coached here.”