10 I THURSDAY, OCT. 7, 2010
Harding
From Page 8
successful athlete, but a genuine,
down-to-earth personality.
While Harding admired and
learned from many former Penn State
players while following the program,
many of the current Lions have
learned some things from her, too.
Senior defensive specialist Cathy
Quilico said Harding is a relentless
worker in the weight room and at
practice.
"She has so much energy, and she
just works her butt off every single
day," Quilico said.
"Everything she does, she works so
hard at. It's unbelievable."
While it seems unlikely Harding will
see playing time this season with vet
erans such as Quilico in front of her,
Rose said things tend to work out for
players who put in the hard work like
the State College native.
Rose said Harding is very commit
ted and continues to work and
Men
From Page 8
wasn't anything spectacular at the
Spiked Shoe meet," Afford-Sullivan
said. - Honestly, when we went out to
Minnesota, I was thinking we were
sixth or seventh but we were ninth. I
got a little nervous after Minnesota.
But we turned it up another notch at
Notre Dame. and that took away all
my creeping-in doubts."
Afford-Sullivan said after the Harry
Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational and
Roy Griak Invitational at Minnesota,
Youth
From Page 8
- It's going to take a while to over
come that. - Sukay said of the depar-
- We have shown signs of talent and
being a good defense and everything,
we just have to put it together for four
quarters. We have to be able to come
together as a unit and you know, last
year they would sometimes pick up
the slack."
Against lowa, freshmen lineback
ers Glenn Carson and Khairi Fortt
saw significant playing time because
defensive coordinator Tom Bradley
said he has no other choice but to play
the two. although it's unknown if
injuries or performance or both fac
tored into the decision.
With Carson coming on strong in
Shutout
From Page 8
organized we were in the back, how
well we communicated when we
wanted to hold the line and let those
guys run through offsides," sopho
more defender Brian Forgue said.
- That's just a testament to the back
four and all over the field and how well
we communicated tonight."
Also helping out the Lions' defen
sive cause was redshirt freshman
keeper Brendan Birmingham.
In just his second start of the sea
son, Birmingham turned in a spotless
performance in net. The redshirt
Evans
From Page 8
to keep listening to her instincts
and not just the coaching.
While Evans has plenty of speed,
she's also a hustle player. Evans said
Walsh and assistant coach Ann Cook
have told her to apply that blue-collar
mentality to the defensive aspects of
her position while staying level-head
ed on offense.
"Right when it switches to attack I
have to be calm and composed,"
"I get to be part of such an amazing tradition and
program with honor."
improve on the areas that still need
work
Though Harding sits behind some
older back row players and hasn't
played in any of No. 4 Penn State's
matches this season, Lion pride runs
through her blood just as much as any
of her teammates.
Her grandfather, Charles
Ruslavage, was a member of the Penn
State football team, while her other
grandfather, Gene Harding, played
baseball for the Lions.
The freshman's father, Jeff, and
uncle, Jim, each wrestled at Penn
State, as well.
Meanwhile, several others, includ
ing her mother Cindy, attended col
lege in Happy Valley.
Harding said family gatherings are
a time to get together and make fun of
the men needed to prove themselves
at Notre Dame.
"If ever we needed to run well, that
was the day," Afford-Sullivan said.
"Alabama obviously had an off-day.
Maybe they were over-ranked going
into it, but they had an off-day, they're
a better team then they ran. But the
point is we have the win against them
now"
"When teams weren't on their
game, we took advantage, and that's
what you're supposed to do."
While Foster said he doesn't rely on
rankings to decide how good the team
is, he said NCAA teams are chosen at
practice during the past couple
weeks, linebacker Michael Mauti said
he wouldn't be surprised if both
Carson and Fortt were contributing
more by the end of the season.
With Fortt and Carson playing
behind Bani Gbadyu and Chris
Colasanti, who Joe Paterno said are
bothered by minor ankle and shoulder
injuries, inexperience is something
Mauti said has been a major factor
this year.
"A lot of guys that are taking their
first lumps and doing the things that
first-year guys will do," Mauti said.
"Even me included. Each week we
will continue to learn and get better
from that, and that all comes from
experience."
On the defensive line, redshirt
sophomore Pete Massaro and red
shirt junior Eric Latimore continue
rotating and getting reps during prac-
freshman made three saves and
turned away a hard shot in the 69th
minute to keep the Lions' lead.
After allowing three goals in his
first start of the year in a 4-3 victory
over Saint Francis on Sep. 29,
Birmingham was relieved to stop
everything this time around.
"You don't get too many shots a
game so you just try to make the
saves when you can," Birmingham
said. "It gives the team a boost when I
can hold the ball for them and they
don't have to worry about that."
Coming into the game, the Lions
were focusing on fine tuning the
details of their game before Michigan
State visits Happy Valley on Sunday.
Evans said. "Going along with that it's
switching between the two and defi
nitely getting more tackles in and
there's a lot of opportunities where
you have to win headers on the goal
kicks."
Evans said her fellow midfielders,
especially sophomore Christine position offensively and defensively
Nairn, have helped her settle in to her and she's spraying the ball around the
new position. With Evans backing field," Nairn said. "She's taking every
them up, her teammates are confi- thing in and doing her best to take
dent when they're under attack everybody's input on the field and so
"She's been doing really well. She's far, so good."
like a sponge in that she just absorbs
everything she can learning a new To e-mail reporter: adrso79@psu.edu
SPORTS
Ohio State and her relatives who did
n't attend Penn State.
With two of her four older brothers
attending college elsewhere, she said
it's two siblings against three in play
ful bantering for their respective
schools.
It's no surprise she's putting in a
full effort, as Harding enjoys being
another member of the volleyball
team while representing her family's
Penn State roots.
"It's awesome because I'm taking
part of a tradition from a lot of my fam
ily coming here and finally being a
part of the team that I've been watch
ing since I was 5," Harding said.
"I get to be part of such an amazing
tradition and program with honor."
To e-mail reporter: rmlsl3B@psu.edu
large heavily based on rankings.
Defeating No. 5 Alabama at Notre
Dame could help the team earn a trip
to the Nov. 22 NCAA cross country
championships.
"The weekend at Notre Da'me real
ly gave our chances a boost because if
Alabama qualifies, it will make us one
of the first non-automatic teams to get
a bid," Foster said. "It's left the win
dow open for us to be a non-automatic
selection, which is probably not an
option we thought we might have at
the start of the season."
To e-mail reporter: zefsoos@psu.edu
tice at left end, Latimore said.
Even in the nickel package, where
cornerback Derrick Thomas' status
for Saturday's game remains
unknown, redshirt junior Andrew
Dailey has filled in for a secondary
that boasts sophomores and juniors.
After struggling to shut down
opposing offenses early in games,
Latimore said at this point, it's just as
much a mental test for the inexperi
enced defense as it is physical.
But through playing five games,
Mauti and Latimore both said the
team will gain invaluable experience.
"I think we're a play or two here or
there, with experience," Mauti said.
"A lot of these guys are getting more
comfortable in the games, and you're
going to see some of those plays go
our way in the future."
To e-mail reporter: aass22o@psu.edu
Penn State had given up nine goals
in their last three games going into
Wednesday's match, and allowing
none to the Wildcats was a huge relief.
Heading into Sunday's match, the
Lions are confident they're where
they need to be.
"It's a big confidence boost to get
out here and get a win," Cost said.
"They're [Villanova) leading the Big
East so it's huge for us to come out
after we lost to Michigan and before
that Indiana, so it's a good to get a
shut out and a win and we'll go
through to Michigan State doing pret
ty well."
To e-mail reporter: massB6o@psu.edu
"[Evans] absorbs
everything she can."
Christine Naim
sophomore midfielder
Maggie Harding
freshman
Moss back
with Vikings
By Dave Campbell
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Brett Favre finally got his
wish. He will be playing with Randy Moss and the Vikings
couldn't be happier about it.
The Super-Bowl-or-bust Vikings got Moss from New
England on Wednesday for a 2011 draft pick, another eye
opening acquisition that comes just in
time to rejuvenate a stagnant offense for
a challenging stretch of games
The Patriots gave the seven-time Pro -
Bowl wide receiver the exit he expected and sent him
back to the team that turned him into a superstar after
drafting him in the first round in 1998. There are still
plenty of fond memories around here of Moss's electrify
ing performances, along with his colorful comments and
contrarian behavior.
"He can still go downtown and get the football, which is
a stand-alone factor," Vikings coach Brad Childress said.
"He could sprain his toe here sometime corning up, and
you could say that he's 33, it's old age. But there's always
risk-reward."
"I don't necessarily see this as boom or bust. I think
he's got some more football in him."
The Vikings play at New York on Monday night, and
Childress said without hesitation Moss would be in uni
form against the Jets in his old purple No. 84.
"Man, we wish this would have happened a week
later," Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson said.
The drama will be high around here all month. Check
out Minnesota's last two games in October: at rival
Green Bay, and then at New England.
"In this business, there are complex and often difficult
decisions, but it is my responsibility to make them based
on what I feel is best for our football team, in both the
short term and long term," Patriots coach Bill Belichick
said. "I am grateful for the opportunity to have coached
Randy Moss and aside from facing him as an opponent, I
wish him the very best for the remainder of his Hall of
Fame career."
The Vikings didn't practice on Wednesday. Moss
expected to join the team on Thursday and talk with
reporters afterward.
He will move from catching passes from Tom Brady to
Favre, who desperately needed a downfield threat after
Pro Bowl receiver Sidney Rice had hip surgery in
August. Struggling Bernard Berrian has been a nonfac
tor, and Percy Harvin when healthy is better suited
for the slot position.
`This is an exciting move; I think everybody feels that
in the locker room," Favre said on the team's website.
"It's rare you get to play with a future Hall of Famer
and get to appreciate their talents up close. Randy Moss
is a great player and his career speaks for itself. I've
admired him from a distance for a long time, and you
can't help but be impressed by the guy -
Moss spent his first seven seasons in Minnesota,
where he set all kinds of records and became one of the
most exciting playmakers in the league. He burned
Favre's Packers often, racking up 9,142 yards and 90
touchdowns during his first stint with Minnesota and
fueling a run to NFC title game appearances following
the 1998 and 2000 seasons.
Tired of his attitude and wary of a hamstring injury
that hampered him in the 2004 season, the Vikings trad
ed Moss to Oakland in 2005.
He wore out his welcome there and the Raiders sent
him to New England in 2007. Favre was frustrated at the
time the Packers didn't land Moss; they discussed a trade
with Oakland.
Childress, though, denied on Wednesday that Favre
lobbied for this move. The coach said owner Zygi Wilf
gave his blessing on Monday.
"I don't think any of us thought this guy was going to be
available," Childress said.
The Vikings in exchange will give the Patriots their
third-round draft pick in 2011 and get a seventh-rounder
from New England in 2012, according to a person with
knowledge of the negotiations, speaking on condition of
anonymity because the teams did not disclose terms of
the deal.
The entertaining style of football that Moss brought
with him started a string of sellouts at the Metrodome
that is still going 13 years later.
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