Penn lacrosse’s Sam Handley (finally) resumes career with new perspective

Penn men’s lacrosse senior captain Sam Handley was determined to prove his recognition in 2019 as one of the best players in the country was well-deserved. He set Penn freshman records in goals (35), assists (26) and points (61) as the Quakers won their first Ivy League title in 31 years.

The accolades followed – First-Team All-American honors, Inside Lacrosse National Freshman of the Year, Unanimous Ivy League Rookie of the Year.

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That was a long two years ago. Since then he has played in one game thanks to an injury and the Ivy League canceling all spring sports in 2020 due to COVID-19 and again wiping out all but one game of the 2021 season.

Now, that wait is over. He’s approaching this season with a newfound perspective leading his game and the Quakers, who split their first two games after a 14-13 overtime victory over Duke on Saturday.

Penn was just five games into its 2020 season when COVID-19 halted college sports, but Handley’s sophomore season was already over. During the opener against then-No. 4 Maryland, Handley took a hit from a Terps defender and the impact sent him to the emergency room with a ruptured spleen.

“I didn’t know at the time, I thought it was bruised ribs or something,” Handley said. “But as the game wore on, I began to feel worse and worse. I got rushed into emergency surgery. They split me open. I have a 15-inch scar down my stomach and now I’m spleen-less.”

Handley missed the next four games, Penn’s last until their opener this season on Feb. 17 against No. 3 Georgetown, a 10-8 loss.

Penn’s 2021 season was canceled by the Ivy League due to COVID, a disappointment for Handley and his teammates as other Division I programs resumed play.

“I wanted to prove that all those awards for freshman year weren’t a fluke,” Handley said. “It was annoying, it was infuriating. But I mean, all you can really do is just wait. Wait for your turn.”

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Before the start of this season, Handley teamed with Penn basketball’s Kayla Padilla, the founding editor of The Sideline Post, a platform for college athletes to share their experiences. Handley wrote an article about how time away from the game forced him to look inward and let go of the anger toward things he can’t control, like COVID-19 and his injury.

“Doing the right thing the right way and taking pride in what you do is the reason our team has achieved success. Looking back, I was mad for all the wrong reasons. My anger was selfish. It was self-centered and arrogant,” Handley wrote.

“During the 2021 season, every single member of the team stayed on campus. Every single member is sacrificed because they all believe in this program. We showed up every day with a simple goal: to get better. To go through as much s— as we have and come out on the other side in a good place is what I am most proud of.”

The Quakers, who play Penn State on Saturday in Charlotte, are projected to be one of the best teams in the country — and Handley sits at the helm, alongside co-captains Ben Bedard, Piper Bond, Dylan Gergar, and Theo Lenz.

Penn was picked second in the Ivy League preseason media poll and ranked 11th in the country in the Inside Lacrosse preseason poll.

“I want to leave the program, this place, better than I found it,” Handley said. “What’s important about our story is that we all stayed together on campus during the 2021 season. No one left, no one wanted to quit, no one gave in, so I think that shared sort of bond is what we kind of hang our hat on.”