Orly Sedransk is a Penn lacrosse goalkeeper whose early college success came through more than shot-stopping. After an uneven transition to Division I competition, she had to become more consistent, attack the ball with greater confidence, and communicate loudly enough to direct an entire defense.
Those adjustments helped her win Penn’s starting position as a freshman in 2025. She subsequently earned consecutive Ivy League goalkeeper honors, competed internationally for Israel, and began using her athletic platform for advocacy.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Position | Goalkeeper |
| College | University of Pennsylvania |
| Jersey number | 99 |
| Hometown | Verona, New Jersey |
| High school | Montclair Kimberley Academy |
| 2025 honours | Ivy League Rookie and Goaltender of the Year |
| 2026 honour | Ivy League Co-Goaltender of the Year |
| International team | Israel |
Montclair Kimberley Academy Built Her Goalkeeping Foundation
Sedransk developed at Montclair Kimberley Academy, where she contributed to consecutive NJSIAA Non-Public B championships in 2023 and 2024. In the first of those finals, she made nine saves as MKA defeated Holy Spirit 14–8 on June 9, 2023. She later served as one of the team’s senior captains in 2024.
Penn’s records credit her with 720 saves and a .550 save percentage across her high school career. Her experience also extended beyond MKA through USA Select. She represented the U16 team in 2021 and 2022 before joining the U18 group in 2023.
Two USA Lacrosse All-America selections and an invitation to the 2024 Senior All-America Lacrosse Game added national recognition. Inside Lacrosse ranked her No. 11 overall in its December 2023 class rankings and identified her as the leading goalkeeper prospect at that time. The publication’s current profile displays a later overall ranking of No. 13, so the No. 11 position applies specifically to the December 2023 list.
Penn Required a More Assertive Goalkeeping Style
Strong recruiting credentials did not make the transition automatic. Penn had an opening in goal following Kelly Van Hoessen’s graduation, creating a competition between Sedransk and Caitlin Noack.
In an October 2025 interview with USA Lacrosse, Sedransk described her first months at Penn as a rocky adjustment. Her practice performances varied, and the coaching staff wanted the same level from her each day. She responded by treating practices as opportunities to earn playing time and build trust with the defense.
The technical expectations also changed. Rather than waiting for shots to reach her, she was asked to play with a more attacking mindset and become more explosive toward the ball. Faster college shots, particularly step-down attempts, required additional hand-eye work and greater comfort under pressure.
Communication Helped Her Win the Starting Role
The most important change behind the article’s title happened in how Sedransk communicated. She told USA Lacrosse that her high-school defensive environment had not required the same volume or constant direction expected at Penn.
College goalkeeping placed her at the center of the defense’s organization. She needed to project her voice, speak more frequently and contribute during huddles instead of communicating quietly from the cage.
Confidence developed alongside that responsibility. Sedransk acknowledged being extremely nervous before games early in her freshman season. Coaches reminded her she wouldn’t play if they didn’t trust her, while support from teammates helped her accept the pressure of being the final defender.
Her progress in practice eventually secured the starting job. The change was not simply about making saves; it meant becoming someone Penn’s defenders could hear and follow during games.
Her Freshman Season Produced an Immediate Breakthrough
Sedransk appeared in all 19 Penn games in 2025 and started 18. She completed the season with an 11–7 goalkeeper record, stopping 180 of the 519 shots she faced. Her .490 save percentage led the Ivy League and all Division I first-year students, while her goals-against average finished at 9.99.
Three performances produced a then-career-high 14 saves: Princeton on April 16, Towson on April 23, and Army in the opening round of the NCAA tournament on May 9.
The Ivy League named her both Rookie of the Year and Goaltender of the Year. She also made First Team All-Ivy and received national and regional recognition from USA Lacrosse, Inside Lacrosse and the IWLCA. Her additional honors included First Team IWLCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region, IWLCA Third Team All-American and All-ECAC.
Penn’s postseason added experiences that statistics alone could not capture. The Quakers defeated Maryland 11–10 in double overtime on May 11 to reach the NCAA quarterfinals. Catherine Berkery scored the winning goal, while Sedransk later identified the victory as the highlight of her freshman campaign.
The season ended four days later with a 17–12 loss to Northwestern. For a first-year goalkeeper, the run supplied early exposure to elimination games and extended overtime situations.
Structured Preparation Strengthened Her Mental Game
Sedransk’s approach to pressure became more deliberate after that NCAA tournament experience. She said the overtime games taught her how important composure could be when one possession might determine the result.
Her preparation continued during summer 2025 through college leagues, sessions with a goalkeeper coach, and gym work. Hand-eye drills received particular attention because of the increased speed and power of Division I shooting.
In a December 2025 Lax Goalie Rat interview, she discussed breathing exercises and reset routines used to remain present during games. Short reminders on her stick provided visual cues, while structured warm-ups, wall ball, and hand-eye exercises helped her enter practices and games in the right mental state.
The routines were designed to help her respond after difficult stretches rather than expect an error-free performance. For a goalkeeper who had initially struggled with day-to-day consistency, preparation supplied a repeatable foundation regardless of how she felt at the start of a session.
A Second Ivy Award Confirmed Her Continued Impact
Sedransk returned as Penn’s starter for all 16 games in 2026. She faced 453 shots and recorded 147 saves, finishing with an 8–8 record, a .452 save percentage and a 10.93 goals-against average.
Her season high came at Dartmouth on March 7, when she stopped 17 shots in a 14–10 Penn victory. During Ivy League play, her .537 save percentage ranked first in the conference.
The league named Sedransk and Princeton’s Amelia Hughes Co-Goaltenders of the Year on April 28. It was Sedransk’s second consecutive season receiving the conference’s top goalkeeper honor, although the 2026 award was shared. She also repeated as a First Team All-Ivy selection and received USA Lacrosse honorable-mention All-America recognition.
Penn’s final total of 147 saves is higher than the 139 listed when the Ivy League announced its awards because the conference release appeared before the season had concluded.
International Competition and Advocacy Expanded Her Platform
Her 2026 season continued beyond Penn when Israel Lacrosse selected her as one of its two goalkeepers for the World Lacrosse Women’s Championship. Israel won five of its six matches and finished third in the tournament.
Sedransk started the bronze-medal game against Haudenosaunee on August 2. She made six saves as Israel secured a 7–4 victory. Julie Krupnick also played in goal and contributed four saves, reflecting the shared responsibilities that both goalkeepers carried during the competition.
Alongside her international season, Sedransk joined the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate’s college athlete ambassador program under an NIL agreement focused on opposing antisemitism and supporting Jewish representation in sports.
Speaking directly to the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent in August 2026, she said Jewish identity is personally important and explained that the program let her connect it to lacrosse. She also said her teammates supported her participation.
Her Development Continues Beyond Shot-Stopping
By the end of 2026, Sedransk’s record included consecutive Ivy League goalkeeper honors, two seasons as Penn’s primary starter and a bronze medal with Israel. Those achievements grew out of specific adjustments she made after reaching college.
She became more assertive toward the ball, developed repeatable mental routines, and learned to direct a Division I defense with a stronger voice. Her international competition and ambassador role later extended her influence beyond Penn’s cage while keeping her connected to the sport that built her public profile.