Behrend Tops Altoona in Overtime Win

The Penn State Behrend Lions won a tight match against Penn State Altoona this past Saturday. Although PSB out-shot Altoona 32-11, the game would head into double overtime to decide the outcome.

Alex Bilka, Olivia Belack and Ally Lonas jumped-started the Lions attack with 10 shots on goal during the first half. The Lions defense competed hard, keeping Altoona's 6 shots from hitting the back of the net. Missed opportunities from the Lions and tough defense from both teams kept the game even and scoreless going into half time.

A few words from Head Coach Patrick O'Driscoll and the Lions were back out for the start of the second half.

Following the sound of the whistle, PSB began to take over the game. PSB created team pressure throughout the field leading to numerous turnovers and team possession. Ally Lonas threaded passes and ran down loose balls giving the Lions the better part of the second half. The lone goal was scored by Olivia Belack after full team defense created a goal scoring opportunity in the 70th minute. After collecting the turnover pass from Rachel Oelbracht, Alex Bilka dribbled toward Altoona defenders before slipping a pass to Belack for the go ahead goal.

Only ten minutes after the Lions goal, Altoona forward Shoshana Mahoney would score an unassisted goal to tie the game in the 80th minute. Counting down the minutes on the clock, Lion forwards came away with chances but couldn't find a way to win the game in regulation.

Penn State Behrend continued pressure on Altoona defense by recording 5 shots on goal compared to Altoona's 2 throughout the first and second overtime. The scoring chances continued and team possession gave Jordan Oberlander the opportunity to chip a pass between two Altoona defenders where Olivia Belack put away the golden goal for the win.

Penn State Behrend returns to action tomorrow at Hilert for their second conference game of the season.

Update on Penn State Women's Soccer

Over the past few days Penn State Behrend Women's Soccer has fought to keep their winning record alive. Although their past two matches have ended in a (1-0) loss and (1-1) tie, PSB is still ranked 7th in the NSCAA Regional Rankings Poll. 

The loss came from Washington & Jefferson on September 20th, where the Lions came across great scoring opportunities during the game but were unable to finish their chances. Washington & Jefferson scored earlier in the first half to go up 1-0 on the Lions. As time ran off the clock during second half, the Lions missed key scoring chances as the Presidents fought to stay ahead. The game ended in a hard 1-0 loss for the Lions.

The Lions second match was this past Tuesday against Westminster. Jordan Oberlin scored in the 31st minute to give Behrend the early lead. Following halftime and deep into the second half, the Lions stayed ahead 1-0. As the Lions tried to hold off Westminster in the final minutes, the Titans scored on a corner kick with 7:42 left to play in regulation. Both overtimes were played but the score remanded 1-1.  

The Lions look for a win this Saturday as they begin conference play against Penn State Altoona. Game time is 1pm at Penn State Behrend soccer field. 

NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division III Women's - Great Lakes - Poll 4 - September 23, 2014

Rank	School	Prev.	W-L-T
1	Carnegie Mellon University  DH Washington & Jefferson College 6-2; DA Capital University 1-0; DA Grove City College 1-0;	1	7-0-0
2	Thomas More  DH Manchester University 5-0; DH Hanover College 2-0; DA Bluffton University 7-0;	2	8-0-0
3	Case Western Reserve University  TH Centre College 1-1; DH Baldwin-Wallace University 1-0; DA Ohio Northern University 1-0;	4	5-1-1
4	Denison University  LA University Of Chicago 0-2; DH Ohio Northern University 1-0; LH Centre College 0-1;	3	6-3-0
5	Capital University  LH Carnegie Mellon University 0-1; DA Agnes Scott College 3-0; LA Emory University 1-3;	6	5-3-0
6	Allegheny College  DH University of Mount Union 4-1; DA Buffalo State College 1-0; LH SUNY Oneonta 1-2;	7	6-3-0
7	Penn State-Behrend  DA University of Mount Union 3-1; DA Grove City College 2-0; LH Washington & Jefferson College 0-1;	5	6-3-0
8	University of Mount Union  LA Allegheny College 1-4; DH Bluffton University 5-1; DH Waynesburg University 5-0;	NR	5-2-0
9	Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology  DH Webster University 3-0; LA Illinois Wesleyan University 1-4; LA Centre College 0-2;	9	5-2-0
10	John Carroll University  DA Kenyon College 3-1; DH Ohio Wesleyan University 3-0; DA Hiram College 3-2;	10	4-2-0

Lions Move From Seventh to Fifth

The Penn State Behrend Lions have moved up the ranks three spots in the past three weeks. Following the win against Grove City, the Lions are ranked 5th in their region.

The Lions jumped from being ranked 7th overall to 5th overall in the NSCAA Regional Rankings after a 6-1 start this season.

The Lions look to keep their winning streak alive when they meet Washington and Jefferson this Saturday afternoon at home.

NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division III Women's - Great Lakes - Poll 3 - September 16, 2014

Rank	School	Prev.	W-L-T
1	Carnegie Mellon University DH Rochester Institute Of Technology 2-0; DH Washington & Jefferson College 6-2; DA Capital University 1-0;	1	6-0-0
2	Thomas More DH Spalding University 5-0; DA DePauw University 2-0; DH Manchester University 5-0;	2	6-0-0
3	Denison University DA Hanover College 2-1; DH Otterbein 2-0; LA University Of Chicago 0-2;	4	5-2-0
4	Case Western Reserve University DH Wittenberg University 1-0; DA Buffalo State College 2-1; TH Centre College 1-1;	7	3-1-1
5	Penn State-Behrend DH Elms College 7-0; DH Elms College 7-0; DA University of Mount Union 3-1;	6	5-2-0
6	Capital University LH Allegheny College 1-2; DH Waynesburg University 2-1; LH Carnegie Mellon University 0-1;	5	4-2-0
7	Allegheny College DA Capital University 2-1; DH Grove City College 1-0; DH University of Mount Union 4-1;	10	5-2-0
8	Ohio Northern University DA DePauw University 1-0; DA Kenyon College 4-1; LA Transylvania University 0-1;	3	3-1-0
9	Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology DA Millikin University 1-0; DH Webster University 3-0; LA Illinois Wesleyan University 1-4;	NR	5-1-0
10	John Carroll University LH Allegheny College 0-1; DA Kenyon College 3-1; DH Ohio Wesleyan University 3-0;	NR	3-2-0

Lions Win at Grove City

Penn State Behrend played a tough match at Grove City yesterday afternoon. The Lions were able to score two goals and pull away with a win.

After a slow start and Grove City managing most of the first half, captain Shelby Lloyd made strong tackles and key passes to help energize the Lions. Shelby's energy became contagious and helped push the Lions to go ahead 1-0. The goal was scored by Sami Pace after Alex Bilka dribbled past a defender and notched the assist.

Before the end of the first half, Taylor Troyan made three game changing saves. By keeping Grove City off the scoreboard, Taylor gave the Lions much needed energy going into halftime.

After a short talk at halftime and a few changes, the Lions were jumped started by midfielder's Ally Lonas, Gionna Fonseca and defender Rachel Weyand. Energy in the second half helped the Lions hold off Grove City forwards and midfields from netting the equalizer.  After 55 minutes of hard play from both teams, Ally Lonas fired a free kick into the box and Sami Pace headed the ball into the goal to go ahead 2-0.

With the final minutes on clock, Taylor Troyan made more key saves to help the Lions secure the shutout and give the Penn State Behrend Lions their sixth win of the season.

The Lions return to action this Saturday at 2pm against Washington and Jefferson.

Sami Pace Named Athlete of the Week

Sami Pace has been named Enterprise Rent-A-Car athlete of the week following her five point game on September 10th. Sami tallied 2 goals and 1 assist in the Lions 3-1 win over Mount Union.

Pace now has 6 goals and 2 assists in seven games. The Lions look to take on Washington and Jefferson at home this Saturday.

Behrend Keeps Climbing

Following the win over Mount Union, the Penn State Behrend Lions are ranked 6th in the Great Lakes Regional Ranking Poll.

The Lions look to continue their winning streak at Grove City on Tuesday September 16th.

NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division III Women's - Great Lakes - Poll 2 - September 9, 2014

Rank	School	Prev.	W-L-T
1	Carnegie Mellon University DA William Smith 2-1; DH Salisbury University 2-0; DH Rochester Institute Of Technology 2-0;	1	4-0-0
2	Thomas More DH Case Western Reserve University 2-0; DH Denison University 5-0; DH Spalding University 5-0;	2	4-0-0
3	Ohio Northern University DH Illinois Wesleyan University 1-0; DA DePauw University 1-0;	6	2-0-0
4	Denison University LA Thomas More 0-5; DA Hanover College 2-1; DA Hanover College 2-1;	4	4-1-0
5	Capital University DA Juniata College 2-1; DH Milwaukee School of Engineering 4-3; LH Allegheny College 1-2;	3	3-1-0
6	Penn State-Behrend DA Drew University 3-0; DH Elms College 7-0; DH Elms College 7-0;	7	4-2-0
7	Case Western Reserve University DH Ohio Wesleyan University 2-0; LA Thomas More 0-2; DH Wittenberg University 1-0;	10	2-1-0
8	Hanover College DH Spalding University 6-0; LH Denison University 1-2; LH Denison University 1-2;	5	3-2-0
9	University of Mount Union DH D'Youville College 2-1; DA SUNY Oswego 2-1; DA SUNY Fredonia 2-0;	NR	3-0-0
10	Allegheny College DA John Carroll University 1-0; DH Baldwin-Wallace University 4-0; DA Capital University 2-1;	NR	3-2-0

Behrend Beats Mount Union

The Penn State Behrend Lions won a hard fought match this past Wednesday against a very talented Mount Union team. Rain, wind and hard work throughout the game created a very physical match. 

The Lions jumped on Mount Union early in the first half by pressing fast and creating mismatches in the final third of the field. Oliva Belack led the push by dribbling at defenders and pressing quickly on Mount Union’s back four. Outside forward, Sami Pace created opportunities on the flank and grabbed an assist by dishing a pass to Alex Bilka to go ahead 1-0. 

Minutes following Bilka’s goal, Sami Pace dribbled past two Mount Union defenders and took a shot on goal. Mount Union goalkeeper blocked the shot but Sami Pace put away the rebound to give the Lions a 2-0 early lead. 

Both teams fought hard through the rain and physical play but the score remained 2-0 going into half time. 

Starting the second half, physical play increased. Mount Union came on the field and created a few good goal scoring opportunities. Too many opportunities led to a goal making the score 2-1. 

Following the goal, the Lions started to control and manage gameplay. Megan Burgdolt, Megan Stetz, Caroline Mashyna and Rachel Weyand played key roles on defense. All four defenders won key battles and kept possession of the ball to slow the game down. 

With minutes remaining in the game, Sami Pace dribbled past a defender and placed a goal in the back of the net to seal the game 3-1. Through the final minutes, the Lions remained tough and held off Mount Union for the win.

Troyan Named Player of the Week

Taylor Troyan was named player of the week after helping the Lions record two shut-out victories this past weekend. Taylor had seven saves on the week and grabbed her third shut-out of the season.

Taylor and the team look to keep the defense rolling tonight against Mount Union.

Behrend Sweeps Fall Fest Tournament

Penn State Behrend won both games during their weekend trip to Drew University. The Lions (4-1) shutout both Elms and Drew to end the tournament.

Sami Pace jump-started the offense on Saturday with her first goal of the season in the 59th minute against Drew. Following Sam Pace's goal, central midfielder Jordan Oberlander grabbed a pair of assists to seal the game, leading the Lions to a 3-0 victory.

Behrend than defeated Elms 7-0 on Sunday giving Taylor Troyen the weekend shutout.
In the first half, both Oliva Belack and Jordan Oberlander netted goals to give the Lions a 2-0 lead.

To start the second half Alex Bilka scored to make it 3-0 off an assist from Oliva Belack. Caroline Mashyna than netted her first goal of the season to pull ahead 4-0. Sami Pace, Rachel Oelbracht, and Amanda Donohue all walked away with goals to give the Lions a 7-0 victory to end the weekend sweep.

The Lions return to action tonight against Mount Union at 7:00pm.

Alex Bilka Helps Capture Memorial Tournament

Sophomore Alex Bilka (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) has been named the Allegheny 

Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, announced 

on Tuesday.

Bilka started off the season with four goals, including two game winners, to help the Lions (2-0)

capture the 2014 Herb Lauffer Memorial Tournament this weekend and earn MVP honors.


Bilka netted two goals in the season-opening win against Oberlin and then scored two more goals in the

championship game against Baldwin Wallace. Her penalty kick goal vs. the Yellow Jackets sealed the

tournament victory. 

Penn State Behrend Receives Regional Ranking in First NSCAA Poll

After coming off a 2-0 weekend at the Herb Lauffer Memorial Tournament, the Behrend Lions earned a #7 regional ranking in the first NSCAA poll of the year. Behrend was one of only two Pennsylvania colleges to be ranked.

This ranking follows the #8 ranking that the team received in the last poll of the 2013 season where the team won the AMCC Championship and played in the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive year.
A great start to the year for the team but plenty or hard work needed to have another successful year.

NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA 

Division III Women's - Great Lakes - 

Poll 1 - September 2, 2014

Rank	School	Prev.	W-L-T
1	Carnegie Mellon University  DA William Smith 2-1; DA Gustavus Adolphus 8-0;	NR	2-0-0
2	Thomas More  DH Case Western Reserve 2-0; DA Wittenberg 6-1;	NR	2-0-0
3	Capital University  DA Juniata 2-1; DA Penn State-Altoona 3-1;	NR	2-0-0
4	Denison University  DH Manchester 11-0; DH Adrian 6-1;	NR	2-0-0
5	Hanover College  DA Maryville 1-0; DA Piedmont 3-0;	NR	2-0-0
6	Ohio Northern University  DA Ohio Northern 1-0; DA Illinois Wesleyan 1-0;	NR	2-0-0
7	Penn State-Behrend  DH Baldwin-Wallace 3-2; DH Oberlin 5-0;	NR	2-0-0
8	Transylvania University  LH John Carrol 1-2; DH Carleton 3-0;	NR	1-1-0
9	Otterbein  DA Methodist 3-0; LA Kalamazoo 0-1;	NR	1-1-0
10	Case Western Reserve University  LA Thomas More 0-2; DH Ohio Wesleyan 2-0;	NR	1-1-0

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