Blue White Illustrated

WOMEN'S SOCCER BRENEMAN CONTINUED FROM 38 Nittany Lions look ahead to 2013 after sprint to College Cup final with dramatic sanctions over the Sandusky scandal. For an excruciating moment, the Nittany Lion football program appeared ready to disintegrate. Breneman, both as a key recruit who promised to stick with Bill O'Brien, and as a kid selflessly motivated to work for a great cause, was a beacon of hope. He relentlessly promoted Catch The Cure on his Twitter feed (which now has more than 10,000 followers), at booster club and community events, and in media interviews. The fundraising goal was quickly eclipsed, reaching nearly $80,000 by November – a total that the Cleveland Brothers heavy equipment company promised to match. It may be too late to help Kirchhoff, whose health has continued to deteriorate, but his example continues to inspire. Even as he continues rehabbing his knee, Breneman is on pace to enroll at Penn State in January, the gem of a recruiting class that has surprised most observers with its quality – and the fact that it has stayed largely intact. Breneman has been the glue of this class, proudly rallying current recruits and trying to bring new ones into the fold. He's also set its most important public example. He knows people are watching, and he doesn't mind one bit. On the field and off, he said, "I'm looking forward to meeting expectations." It was the best season in Penn State women's soccer history, and that's saying something considering that the program has won 15 consecutive Big Ten titles. In 2012, the Nittany Lions were recognized as having the conference's best coach, best midfielder, best defender and best freshman. They finished as regular-season Big Ten champions, and they had won 21 games heading into the school's first appearance in the NCAA College Cup final. After squeaking past Florida State in the semifinals – a thrilling 2-1 victory in which standout midfielder Christine Nairn scored the winner just 1 minute, 12 seconds into overtime – Penn State was paired up with North Carolina for the national crown. The Tar Heels, however, have been called by some the New York Yankees of women's college soccer, having won 21 national championships in their storied history. They won their 22nd on Dec. 2 in San Diego. Using a constant rotation of substitutes – a remarkable show of depth and talent – they outlasted Penn State, 4-1, and put a lopsided end to an otherwise brilliant Nittany Lion season. "It's hard to feel great after a 4-1 loss, especially when you haven't felt that all season long," head coach Erica Walsh said. "But [I told the team] how proud I am of the work that they've put in this season and the leadership presented by our senior class. I told them how much I've learned from them this year and how much their legacy means to this program and this university, and that will carry us on to next year. And, obviously, they set a whole new standard for Penn State women's soccer." Nairn, a senior, led the way for the Nittany Lions and will be sorely missed when they return to Jeffrey Field next season. She is a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy – the Heisman Trophy of collegiate soccer, which will be handed out Jan. 11 in St. Louis – and she was named Big Ten Midfielder of the Year after leading the team with 17 goals (six of them game-winners) and 12 assists. "Christine, along with our other seniors, showed us the way," said junior Taylor Schram, who scored Penn State's only goal against North Carolina. "They led us through this whole thing, and now hopefully next year, my class and I can step up and do the same thing they did – and more." Schram is set to return, as is standout forward Maya Hayes, a Hermann semifinalist. The Nittany Lions will be looking for a 16th consecutive conference title and another College Cup appearance, but replacing Nairn, along with classmates Erin McNulty, Lexi Marton, Jackie Molinda, Bri Garcia, Maddy Evans and Amanda Dotten, will be a challenge. "Christine is the best player that I've ever played with," Schram said. "It's been an honor to play with her the past three years. She's also my best friend and she will be greatly missed by me and by everyone else on the team, along with the other seniors. [I'm] just going to try to step into the huge shoes and fill them to the best of my ability."

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