Carroll County Times 2024 girls lacrosse All-County: Manchester Valley star Emma Penczek repeats as Player of the Year
To the untrained eye, a player as accomplished as Emma Penczek has nothing left to prove. That couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Coming off an undefeated season, state championship, county and metro Player of the Year honors, the Manchester Valley junior faced some lofty expectations heading into 2024.
“We’re never satisfied,” Penczek said. “Every year I discuss with Coach [Shelly Brezicki] and my teammates all we want to accomplish and what we need to do to reach our goals.”
Always striving to become the complete lacrosse player, Penczek kept the same fire and intensity that has propelled her to national stardom, all while developing into more of a leader for a Mavericks squad with high expectations and new running mates joining the future Clemson Tiger.
The result? 89 Points, 68 Goals, 110 draw controls, 22 caused turnovers, 35 ground ball pickups, another undefeated county title and second straight 2A West Region I title.
For her efforts, Manchester Valley junior Emma Penczek has once again been named 2024 Carroll County Times girls lacrosse Player of the Year.
“She was the best overall player on the field hands down,” Brezicki said. “It’s not only her skill, but her ability to see the game and her ability to make an impact everywhere.”
While many note her scoring, it was her play on the other end of the field that carried the Mavericks in the rare moments they found themselves in a close game. Down two goals late against Century, it was her defense that sparked the comeback.
“On the defensive she was willing to take a lot of risks,” Brezicki said. “Her risks usually mean rewards for us. She’s intense, she wants the ball back and so she understands how to put herself in a position to make that happen.”
When Penczek got the ball back she was dangerous, adding to her already impressive numbers and hitting 300 career points this season.
Her top performances included her game-winning goal in that tough county game against Century, the time she scored eight goals against Towson, a pair of six goal performances — one against eventual 4A state champion Broadneck and another against Mt. Hebron — and her five goal performance in the state quarterfinals against C. Milton Wright. Her work doing the nitty gritty was also highlighted as she reached over 200 career draw controls as well.
“I just do what I can to make sure we win,” she said. “I know I can score but I want to be known as a player that does more.”
After taking the next step as a player, the steps Penczek took towards being a leader further emphasized her impact.
“Emma’s energy is what makes her a catalyst for our team,’ Brezecki said. “She’s able to pick up the energy of her teammate and lead us to the finish line.”
With new players littered throughout the Mavericks starting lineup, Penczek was a claiming force, taking the pressure off her teammates and helping them thrive.
Addison Meyer quickly became one of the most productive players on the county champions, while freshman Taylor Fique proved to be a quality running mate for Penczek on the attack, all resulting in an even more dangerous Manchester Valley squad that once again ran through the county and region unblemished.
“It was fun this year learning to work with different people,” Penczek said. “We worked a lot on things in practice and used practice to work with everyone and build confidence for all the younger players.”
With Penczek already preparing for a senior season in which she looks to lead the Mavericks back to the state title game, her efforts this season have gone a long way not just for the program, but for her evolution to being the complete lacrosse player.
“It was a great year,” she said. “The way it ended just didn’t sit well with us and we want to get back to that state championship. I’m going to come back stronger and faster.”