Oct. 22, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - This fall, the Penn State women's lacrosse team not only began preparations for the 2009 season but also helped to raise money and awareness for worthy causes by participating in two regional tournaments.
On Sun., Oct. 5, in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Nittany Lions took part in the 2008 Pittsburgh Lacrosse For Hope Tournament. Co-hosted by Robert Morris College and Duquesne University, the event was a benefit for the Glimmer of Hope Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising funds to further breast cancer research.
RMC sold concessions throughout the day with all proceeds going to the foundation. Also, the referees donated one game's pay to the cause. Additional funds were solicited from the crowd during the games.
The tournament featured nine games, including Penn State taking on Binghamton and Canisius.
The following weekend, on Sat., Oct. 11, the Nittany Lions traveled to Brooklandville, Md. to compete in the 2008 Price Modern "Lacrosse for Leukemia" Fall Invitational. Each of the 14 participating teams played in honor of a local youth ambassador who is a survivor of, or is currently undergoing treatment for a blood cancer. These youngsters served as honorary captains for each team and spent the day with their respective squads on the team bench.
The annual tournament has raised over $915,000 for research and patient services for 10 years on behalf of the Maryland Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and its mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
The invitational drew teams from all over the east coast and as far away as Colorado (Air Force) and Kentucky (Louisville). Penn State faced Towson and Loyola in tournament match-ups.
Head coach Suzanne Isidor, who is entering her ninth year at the helm of Penn State women's lacrosse program, returns 23 letterwinners and welcomes a highly-touted class of recruits numbering 11 strong for the 2009 season. The Nittany Lions begin regular season play on Wed., Feb. 18 when they host Lafayette in a 7 p.m. match-up.