Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1507572
4 8 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M "Coming in as a freshman, it's going to be hard [to have an impactful role right away]," he told The Daily Col- legian. "There are a lot of guys on the team, a lot of depth. I'm happy to make an impact." The men's soccer team isn't the only Penn State squad to come away with mixed feelings after an early-season matchup against an elite opponent. The PSU women's soccer team opened its campaign on Aug. 17 with a visit from No. 2 North Carolina and had to settle for a 0-0 tie. The Lions would have relished a win after outshooting the Tar Heels 3-2. But even without one, their performance showed they are equipped to compete at the sport's highest level this year. Following their season-opening tie, the Nittany Lions reeled off six consecutive victories and vaulted up to No. 6 in the USCA poll heading into their Big Ten opener Sept. 15 against visiting Mary- land. Throughout their nonconference season, which included a 1-0 win over 16th-ranked TCU on Aug. 27, the Lions combined a balanced offensive attack with stellar defense. Seven players had at least 2 goals in the team's first seven games, a list headed by junior defender Mieke Schiemann and sophomore mid- fielder Olivia Borgen with 3 apiece. Meanwhile, graduate student Kather- ine Asman excelled between the pipes, allowing just 1 goal in 535 minutes of action. "Kat has been really solid, and the group in front of her have been doing their job," head coach Erica Dambach told The Collegian. This year, the Penn State women's team is celebrating its 30th anniversary as a varsity squad. It's been the class of the Big Ten for much of that three- decade span, while also claiming a na- tional championship in 2015. With an ample stockpile of talent re- turning, Penn State was selected as the Big Ten's preseason favorite for the 21st consecutive year. So far, it looks like all those glowing appraisals were right on the money. ■ WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL: After opening their season with back-to-back losses to nationally ranked opponents, the Nittany Lions had built up some momentum with four consecutive victories heading into their visit to Louis- ville to face the second-ranked Cardinals. The hosts brought Penn State's winning streak to an emphatic end with a sweep (25-17, 25-19, 25-16) on Sept. 10. Senior outside hitter Jess Mruzik had 12 kills, the fifth time in seven matches that she reached double digits, but it wasn't enough to stave off a lopsided defeat. Penn State had reeled off wins over Western Kentucky (3-1, Sept. 1), Col- gate (3-0, Sept. 2), James Madison (3-1, Sept. 3) and Temple (3-0, Sept. 8) and were up to No. 12 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll before stumbling against Louisville, last year's NCAA Tournament runner up. FIELD HOCKEY: Senior forward Sophia Gladieux scored 3 goals to propel the 11th-ranked Nittany Lions past No. 19 Delaware 4-1 at the Field Hockey Complex on Sept. 10. Sophomore forward Aubrey Semler also scored for Penn State, while graduate goalkeeper Brie Barraco totaled 7 saves. It was the third consecutive victory for Penn State, coming on the heels of a 5-1 win at Stanford on Sept. 3 and a 5-0 shutout of visiting Kent State on Sept. 8. Heading into their Big Ten opener against Rutgers on Sept. 15, the Nittany Lions were 4-2 under first-year coach Lisa Bervinchak Love. CROSS COUNTRY: Senior Faith DeMars won her second consecutive race when she claimed the title at the Spiked Shoe Invitational on Sept. 8 at the Penn State Golf Courses. DeMars covered the six-kilometer course in 20:50.3, helping the Penn State women outpace Syracuse and Pitt for the team championship. A week earlier, DeMars captured the title at the season-opening Dolan Duals at Lock Haven. The Ballston Spa, N.Y., native finished the 4K race in 13:39.6, a personal best and the fastest time by a female competitor at the Dolan Duals since 2016. On the men's side, Penn State came in third behind Syracuse and Pitt at the Spiked Shoe Invite. Redshirt senior Evan Dorenkamp was the Nittany Lions' top finisher, placing seventh overall in the 5.2-mile race with a time of 25.43.5. At the Dolan Duals, sophomore Ryan Watson led the men's field with a 6K time of 17:48.5, which was a personal record and the event's top time by a male finisher since 2018. He was later named Big Ten Cross Country Athlete of the Week. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Penn State will be renewing acquaintances with several opponents it hasn't seen in years during its upcoming 11-game non- conference schedule. The Lady Lions will open at home Nov. 7 against Bucknell, a team they haven't played since 2013. They'll welcome Navy, a team they have never faced, three nights later, followed by a home game against Kansas on Nov. 13 and a visit to St. John's on Nov. 16. At the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Tournament, Penn State will meet Okla- homa State for the first time since 2001 and future Big Ten rival USC for the first time since 1983. The tourney will take place Nov. 20-22 in Nassau, Bahamas. Penn State will also play Providence (Nov. 26), Radford (Nov. 29), West Vir- ginia (Dec. 4), St. Francis (Pa.) (Dec. 17) and Central Connecticut State (Dec. 20). The game against the Mountaineers will be in Morgantown. All the oth- ers will take place at the Bryce Jordan Center. — Matt Herb F A L L / W I N T E R S P O R T S N O T E B O O K Penn State's Faith DeMars (left) and Florence Caron finished first and third, respec- tively, at the Spiked Shoe Invitational. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL