: 'A uc.s so w, March 31, 2010 Forwards lead way for Lady Ruggers By Anarew Robinson .-. ■ '---r writer They ’Aork as one. Eight for s:-. o;!u And toiled, surging : v.ith one goal Wal.'-h aid Tin's our mentality •',i first scrum. We 'hem so hard they ' rum with us ever b : ameers forward ' instrumental in win-- over Virginia . and Naw this hi forwards are a :a" have been able >-m.h ;md versatility i../av's win over arned the Lady -RFC title, coach . ; r used the for >o the victory, ■d Lie way the for vr able to switch ■ aole to keep up ahe Zeigler. the : -a n. the forwards !Ked shat she saw ■, ards over the week- me confidence a .illy came togeth- Zeigler said. "It •k for them, and for he season we're more intensity, if what we did re team's game aiy this weekend a an its playoff run. j u n ior Dunbar happy to switch positions for sake of team Bv Margaret McAvoy a '.■■■■WRITER tunbar, it's all a- against No. can-eel two i; • think about look at the sta- C :!:.! S down to v team to win. tl link to myself, if I ■mid ball, or win that 1. i can pass it some- i ‘ LY COLLEGIAN INVITES APPi ■ member Board of Directors of Collegian Inc. is g applications for one undergraduate and one : student to serve on Board. Full-time !pae; graduate (especially freshmen and sophomores) and students are eligible. This is a two year term. The . i are not eligible for these seats: Collegian staff a r s and former staff members (for five years after n staff). Others are not eligible under our -of-interest policies (for example,students t with other media, student government alt, officers of major student organizations), gian Inc. is a Pennsylvania non-profit a at on, which is legally and financially n idle for The Daily Collegian and related publications. Collegian inc is self-supporting. The dua* mission of Collegian me. H o provide a quality college newspaper for' Penn State and a rewarding educational experience for its student staff members. OMEN'S °ufiBy Forward Kyle Armstrong runs with the ball against Virginia Tech in a game March 20 at West Campus Pitch. it does provide a chance to build more depth and continuity among the forwards. Walsh said the Lady Ruggers aren't afraid to move players around and it helps the players push each other in practice. For junior flanker Jackie Cairns, the depth in forwards is a main reason for the improve ment. Being able to go to prac tice twice a week with no guaran tees on playing time is some thing that pushes the players to get better. "We have a lot of competition, and what was great was that we got to bring a lot of girls this weekend,’’ Cairns said. "What's important is we keep having peo ple come out to practice and keep having people work hard, and I think if no one gets compla cent with the spot they have that we are going to be fine." Aside from dominating the scrums arid rucks, the off-field work the forwards have put in has been vital. Walsh pointed to the extra work, like the annual "April Push” run. as the biggest key to building chemistry in the pack. Cairns was one of the players who returned from New Zealand one else and then they can score." Dunbar did exactly that on Sunday in the Penn State women's lacrosse team's 11-8 win over the Tribe. Though Dunbar played what coach Suzanne Isidor called "awesome" on Sunday, her success didn't start there Dunbar played all 16 games as a freshman defender and led her class in ground balls and draw controls. Starting every game as a sopho more. she established herself as a part of the defense's foundation. This season, however. Dunbar made the transition to midfield. this spring and brought back raw physicality from her experiences in the fall. The Hanker said she actually had to ie-adjust to rugby in the U.S.. but the Lady Ruggers can use that physicality to their advantage for the rest of the spring. "The rules around the break down and contact are \va> differ ent. You just throw bodies and people are just smashing each other." Cairns said "Here. I think we can take the physicality we learned down there, but we have to refine it a little to the American game." One thing the Penn State for wards can do that other forwards often can't is support the break. Once the ball gets to the backs and they make their runs, the forwards can get up and support the attack, and it's something they love doing "It's a lot of work to get the ball out, but the whole reason we do it is to let the backs do what they do," Walsh said. "It's amazing to be a part of that and to hang with people like Sadie I Anderson I and Lisa [Hennemani It's pretty awesome." To e-maii reporter, adrso79i3psu.edu The ease -going Coekee sville. Md.. native said she happily made the move. Her speed and quickness have opened doors on the Lions' attack but at the same time oiler a nice cushion for the defense. Dunbars mother. Martha Dunbar, said her daughter has always been a hard worker But watching the younger Dunbar hustle up and down the field, it's easv to see she's more than that. Dunbar "She gives u ivr all." Martha Dunbar said. "She never quits, and everythina she o-vs is for the team." Dunbar was a standout athlete at St. Paul s School for Girls in Baltimore County. Md. Though she received t !; varsity letters in lacrosse, soccer and basketball. Ex-Lion adjusting to professional life Standing behind a net Monday afternoon in sweatpants and a dark blue sweatshirt, Katie Schoepfer seemed distant from her former mates despite being less than 10 feet from them. Ever since she was drafted Jan. 15 bv the Skv Blue FT of Women's Professional Soccer Schoepfer has been adjusting to life as a profession al soccer player. But through it all. the forward has adapted to the WPS and expects to be a contributor as a rookie. "It was really nerve-wracking, and I was so nervous about mak ing a mistake and not being able to play well." Schoepfer said of her first playing time. "Once I got the nerves out. it was fine. It's just a regular soccer game after that." Despite playing on a roster with established strikers Natasha Kai and Jessica Landstrom, Schoepfer used training camp and preseason to move herself up the depth chart. Schoepfer said she is the first for ward off the bench and has played about 20-25 minutes a game. At Penn State. Schoepfer could keep the ball on her foot and either power past defenders or beat them with a finesse move. But in the pros, it's one or two touches then pass. The speed of the game was the biggest adjustment. Schoepfer said, but her size allows her to take hits from defenders and not get knocked off the ball. "There's no time to dribble and no time to second-guess yourself,” Schoepfer said. "You have to know where you're going to play, play the ball and not doubt yourself.” Aside from game speed, she chose lacrosse for one reason. "Lacrosse is just my favorite,” Dunbar said. "It's my passion.” Dunbar's passion shows on the Whether it's hustling after ground balls, winning draw con trols and causing turnovers, Dunbar's presence stands out on the field. "She is a great player,” goal keeper Steph Ellis said. “Honestly, she’s the complete package: speed, vision, agility, passion. She's got it all." Dunbar's teammates respect her and know when she steps on the field she will give 100 percent. As she races up and down the field, she usually causes havoc for the person who is guarding her. She said that runs in the family. 'ONS FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS • Overseeing the operation of The Daily Collegian and related publications. However, as a matter of policy, the Board does not become involved in day-to-day operations. • Selecting top management of Collegian Inc. • Setting broad policy and long-range goals • Ensuring the financial independence and editorial freedom of The Daily Collegian and related publications. By Andrew Robinson COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER WOMEN’S SOCCER (WPS), Collegian Inc. is responsible for: interested people are invited to submit a letter of application and a resume to Patricia Hartranft. E-mail applications preferred: pah 12@psu.edu. Applications by regular mail may be sent to: Patricia Hartranft Collegian Inc., James Building The Daily Collegian Schoepfer found the pro lifestyle dramatically different from col lege. As a WPS player, she is responsible for getting to and from practice on her own and the play ers are more individual than the “automatic family” at Penn State. However, Schoepfer was sur prised how welcoming the older players were to her and the other new players. When the contract players came to camp, being on the same field as international stars and U.S. National Team play ers took some getting used to for Schoepfer. "It was really intense. You met everyone in one day, and it was just go and play with some of the best players in the world and just go impress people." Schoepfer said. "It was kind of surreal at first but once you get used to it, like I said, it's just a soccer game.” One thing Schoepfer didn’t have to adjust to was the drills in train ing. Schoepfer said Sky Blue coach Pauliina Miettinen and Penn State coach Erica Walsh both follow U.S. coach Pia Sundhage’s style, giving her a leg up on how to win drills. While she is living out of a hotel room until the end of the week in New Jersey, where Sly Blue is based, Schoepfer is still in contact with her Nittany Lion teammates. She said she talks to at least one of her old teammates every day, and the contact is something the cur rent Lions enjoy. "It's really cool that we have that connection with someone who's playing at the highest level as a professional and still be able to talk to her as a soccer player and a friend,” freshman Maddy Evans said. “We see her and see how far she's made it, and having her as part of out support system is just huge.” With the WPS season ready to begin April 11, Schoepfer is hoping her work in the preseason carries over into the regular season. To e-mail reporter: adrso79@psu.edu “My family is just competitive," Dunbar said. “Even if it is a board game, we are always competi tive.” With Dunbar’s competitive nature, her coaches know she’ll play hard every game. Dunbar said Mitch Whiteley, her high school lacrosse coach, always believed in her abilities. Isidor must have confidence in Dunbar as well. Dunbar leads the Lions in ground balls (28) and caused turnovers (13). “From here on out I feel like our team can do a lot better than in our previous years,” Dunbar said. “We work hard all year for this, and now it’s just the fun part.” To e-mail reporter: mcm332@psu.edu 123 S. Burrowes St. State College, PA 16801-3882 The letters should include your: 1. Reasons for seeking a directorship. 2. Local address, telephone number and email address. 3. Permanent home address and telephone number.
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