Women’s Lacrosse Goalie, Jenika Cuocco, set the NCAA on fire last season, leading the nation in saves and save percentage, and was named a second-team All-American.
Cuocco grew up in Sound Beach, New York, a smaller town on Long Island, an area of the country well-known for producing top-tier lacrosse talent. Although she did not want to stay on the Island, Jenika needed to attend a school close enough to home for her mom to make it to the games. Therefore, when Drexel showed interest in the goalie, and following the completion of a successful visit, Cuocco claimed it was a “no brainer” to become a Dragon.
After deciding to red-shirt for her freshman season, Cuocco lit up all competition as a rookie, helping the Dragons to a 5-2 record against CAA competition, a huge 16-11 victory over top program John Hopkins, and an NCAA tournament berth. Cuocco was recognized for her immediate impact winning CAA Rookie and CAA Goalie of the Year.
Entering the 2024 season, expectations were as high as ever for the Dragons, but Cuocco’s performance again elevated Drexel beyond all predictions. The sophomore led the entire nation in saves, with 224, and save percentage, with 56.9 percent, while winning her second straight conference Goalie of the Year title .
The goalie credits her environment to her personal growth.
“Our team environment creates such an underdog mentality, and I don’t think it matters if you’re a rookie, or entering your second, third, or fourth year, you have the same goals. It’s about working for the teammate next to you.”
Early in the season, the team notched consecutive huge wins over top-25 ranked programs including a 10-8 victory over Penn State at Vidas, and a 13-12 win against Navy in Annapolis. Despite a near-perfect conference slate, which saw the Dragons finish 7-1, the team fell to the arch-rival Stony Brook Seawolves in the CAA Championship, before losing to Princeton in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
With the graduation of key starters Corinne Bednarik, Alex Wall and Belle McHugh, among others, many in Cuocco’s position may have entered the transfer portal to seek out a program playing in a more premiere conference, that receives more exposure than a mid-major school like Drexel. Although she briefly tested the portal, Cuocco re-emphasized the importance of her team in her decision to stay.
“It’s not very common to find a place that has created a culture like Drexel has. We’re a bunch of 32 sisters.”
Cuocco, an early education major, completed her co-op at the local Headstart Program, and now is student teaching at the Powell School. The new captain mentioned certain leadership tactics she utilized in the classroom translated to the practice fields at Vidas.
“What’s grown for me the most is my patience. Three to five-year-olds test that a lot.” Aside from increased patience, seeing problems through the eyes of a child has helped Jenika grow a connection with her teammates.
The Dragons ranked 24th in the Inside Lacrosse preseason poll, before opening the season with a heartbreaking double overtime road loss to UConn, 9-10. However, on Wednesday, Drexel recaptured last year’s momentum, annihilating Wagner, again on the road, 16-3. The Dragons battle #12 UPenn in a battle of Market Street home opener this Sunday, with Drexel looking to flip the script and escape with a victory, after falling to the Quakers last season.
Lacrosse TV will broadcast Sunday’s match, making it the first time the women’s lacrosse team has been broadcast on the network.
“I think it’s about time,” said Cuocco on Drexel receiving more national recognition. “Year after year we continue to prove why we should be a top program, and a lot of the times we’re looked past or slept on by other teams. I think that’s okay, because it drives us to be better.”
After opening 1-1, the Dragons hope to notch a win in their first home game, with their sights set on once again winning the CAA championship, and punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season.