16 I Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010
Despite
By Andrew Robinson
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Losing a starter, another young
player coming off a strong camp
and a freshman expected to con
tribute immedi- ==
ately would hin- WOMEN'S
der most teams in
the first weeks of SQCCtH
a season.
Then again,
most teams don’t have the depth
of the Penn State womens soccer
team.
Despite injuries to Maddy
Evans, Jackie Molinda and Emily
Hurd, the No. 13/11 Nittany
Lions’ deep roster has allowed
them to maintain a high level of
play.
“We had a bunch of players
come off the bench against West
Virginia and I thought they did
well to actually elevate the
level of the game,” Penn State
coach Erica Walsh said. “That’s
always a good thing when you see
a player go on and they really give
you the boost that you need."
Assistant coach Ann Cook said
Evans had all but secured a
starting role after a strong
preseason while Hurd, a freshman
left-footed wing player and
Molinda, a speedy and versatile
player, are both expected to
contribute all season. But with
the three sidelined, the Lions
Team confident, poised as 2010 season begins
By Alex Angert
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Winning a Big Ten champi
onship can cause a team to have a
different swagger
going into the
next season
Winning 12 Big
Ten champi
onships in a row is
a whole different
story.
That’s the case
this season for the costa
Penn State
women’s soccer
team, which showed both a sense
of confidence and looseness on
Sunday during its Blue-White
intrasquad scrimmage at Jeffrey
Field.
“We are very confident," red
shirt freshman Tani Costa said.
“We are all working hard. We are
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injuries, Lions still going strong
bench has stepped up.
Sophomore Julie Hubbard
started on Friday against West
Virginia, while redshirt sopho
more Bri Garcia, junior Ali
Schaefer, redshirt freshman Tani
Costa and true freshman Taylor
Schram came off the bench.
Costa scored the game-winning
goal in overtime and said the com
petition in practice has been a
daily battle.
“It’s just working hard for your
self individually to push the start
ing lineup, to make a difference
out there and make an impression
for the coaches,” Costa said.
“Especially for our team, it’s
important that everyone needs to
go out there, work hard, work for
every ball, don’t take anything for
granted. We make each other bet
ter every day.”
With so many players capable of
contributing, Hubbard said every
one is fighting for minutes. At the
same time, the injured players are
frustrated they can’t be on the
field helping the team.
“Coming in as a freshman it’s
always hard because I didn’t know
any of the girls and I feel like a lot
of the bonding teams do is made
on the field,” Hurd said. “You’re
playing with people, getting to
know them and interacting with
them and I had to sit out on the
sideline.”
Now that the games have start-
all playing really intense with
each other. We have high expecta
tions for one another and
we keep living up to that,
so we're going to keep moving for
ward.”
And while the White team came
away with the 3-1 victory, it wasn’t
the score that mattered at the
end of the day, but rather that
exact level of intensity Costa
pointed out.
After evaluating the team’s
play, head coach Erica Walsh said
she didn't see as much intensity in
Sunday's Blue-White matchup as
compared to Friday’s opener
against West Virginia, however,
that can be expected in an
intrasquad scrimmage.
Nevertheless, the players still
competed at a high level through
out the entire scrimmage.
Both teams hustled all game
long. They fought for every ball
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ed, Hurd said the desire to get on
the field is stronger, but she also
knows it’s better to wait and heal.
The freshman said she would
much rather be healthy for the
end of the season than play with
risk of an injury in an early season
game.
Evans said she expects to play
this weekend while Molinda and
Hurd might return a little later.
Molinda echoed Costa’s and
Hubbard’s sentiments in saying
the practices have been intense
thus far.
“We’re really deep this year, it’s
been a battle at every practice,”
Molinda said. “You gotta battle
every day because there’s so
much talent, everyone can step
up.”
It takes teams a couple weeks to
determine a starting lineup, and
even then, it’s subject to change
based on match-ups. Toward the
end of the season, the Lions’ depth
will make each player capable of
playing their roles.
“Our depth is incredible, all over
the field too,” Evans said. “That
just says a lot about who we are as
a team and individuals because
we’re all willing to contribute
when the time is right and when
it’s our time. Everyone contribut
ing is really going to pay off when
we need those players.”
To e-mail reporter: adrso79@psu.edu
and the players still jawed with the
referees up until the final buzzer
all while playing at what Walsh
considered to be about 70 to 75
percent of Friday’s level.
Walsh added building this
positive attitude early on is one of
the most important things right
now for the team, and it’s
apparent by the team’s demeanor
that Penn State is ready to
defend the Big Ten crown.
“I think we’re carrying a certain
amount of confidence right now
for sure,” assistant coach Ann
Cook said.
“We’re playing well. We’re
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“Good team chemistry and good team
dynamics. They absolutely seem loose and they
should seem loose right now.”
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Tyler Sizemore/Collegian
Sophomore Jackie Molinda (6) and freshman Emily Hurd (14) sit on
the bench during the team’s Blue-White intrasquad scrimmage this week
end. Molinda and Hurd are currently recovering from injuries.
Ann Cook
assistant coach
buzzing. We should have a lot of
confidence.”
Hand-in-hand with the team’s
upbeat outlook on the season is
how the players are very
loose and undaunted by the
lofty task of winning yet
another consequitive conference
title.
During a shootout following the
scrimmage, Costa skipped on
her approach to the ball, then
turned around to laugh and shoot
a quick smile back to her
coach, who jokingly yelled
at the young forward for her
antics.
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As the two teams were
announced, Carly Niness, Dani
Toney and Emma Thomson
huddled up and jumped around
together to fire up the crowd
and the rest of the team.
Most of the players danced
along with the music playing from
the loud speakers as they
warmed up before the game.
“We have a good personality on
this team right now,” Cook said.
“Good team chemistry and
good team dynamics. They
absolutely seem loose, and they
should seem loose right now.”
To e-mail reporter: adal47@psu.edu
jgAtt For more coverage on
•4| jp- Penn State soccer
throughout the season
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