The success Drexel goalie Jenika Cuocco has had on the lacrosse field surprises even herself

In her second year at Drexel and rookie season on the women’s lacrosse team, Jenika Cuocco never expected so much success this soon.

Through Wednesday, Cuocco, an education major, ranked fifth in the nation among goalkeepers based on save percentage at .532.

This week, she also nabbed both goalkeeper of the year and rookie of the year honors in the Colonial Athletic Association. To top that off, Cuocco has broken the record for CAA rookie of the week awards with seven. She also received honorable mention on USA Lacrosse Magazine’s All-American list.

“I really never expected all of this. This season has just been unreal,” Cuocco said this week in advance of the Dragons’ first-round NCAA Tournament game against No. 11 Maryland on Friday (5 p.m., ESPN+) in Harrisonburg, Va. The Dragons received an at-large bid courtesy of a 12-5 record this season, behind 173 saves from Cuocco.

“We came into this season and set our standards of what we expect, and I have been trying to stick to them,” she added. “These aren’t just personal accolades, they are a reflection of all of my teammates’ hard work, too.”

A native of Long Island, where lacrosse is a hotbed, Cuocco said the sport has been a part of her life from an early age, but it wasn’t until she tried playing goalie one day that she truly found her love for the sport.

Cuocco’s decision to commit to Drexel wasn’t an easy one as the idea of attending college in a big city wasn’t one that she preferred.

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“I didn’t even have Drexel on my radar; it was my mother who convinced me to come on a visit,” Cuocco said. “When I had lunch with the team, I realized how they interacted with each other was like a big family. That was huge for me, and it solidified that I wanted to come to Drexel.”

Cuocco was a redshirt in her freshman year, a decision that didn’t come lightly for her or her coaches. It was due in large part to her predecessor in goal, Zoe Bennett, who exercised her fifth year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic and played out her final year.

Cuocco and her coaches saw it as a learning opportunity.

“We decided that it would be best for the long term for me to get adjusted to the college game and get a year of experience under my belt before playing. It was also a year to learn under Zoe, so I saw the experience really positively,” Cuocco said. “It also took a lot of stress off me in my freshman year, which I appreciated.”

Cuocco attributes this season’s success not only to her teammates and coaching staff but also to the sports psychologist at Drexel, Madeline Barlow.

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“Being a goalie can be tough, because when we lose it feels like it’s all your fault. I’ve been working with Madeline since the fall to try and overcome this, and it’s been huge for me. To remind myself that we win and lose as a team, always,” said Cuocco. “I’ve now got the mental skills to remind myself that I am here for a reason; it isn’t just luck, and also that being nervous is a good thing. It means I care. I remind myself why I started playing lacrosse, which was to have fun, and that has really helped.”

Next up, Maryland. Drexel played Maryland earlier in the regular season, on the losing end of a 15-9 final. But in the Dragons’ third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, Cuocco says she’s eager to get started.

“Going to NCAAs playing a team we already played in the regular season is huge,” she said. “We see it as another opportunity and an opportunity to make history and win the first round of NCAAs. We know what to expect, and we are all excited to play.”

While Cuocco still has a long time to think about her future in lacrosse after college, it is on her radar.

“If the opportunity was given to me to go to the professional leagues or even to coach, I think I would take it,” she said. “I really just love this sport.”