Aug. 6, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Head coach Erica Walsh and her staff welcome the 2009 Penn State women's soccer team back to campus on Thursday. The team will open training camp for official practice Friday morning.
The first day for official practice is Friday, as the NCAA bylaws mandate. The team will convene tonight in Happy Valley for the squad's first meeting.
Altogether, 29 players and four coaches will be embarking on the 2009 season, which could be a record-setting year. The team is in search of its 12th-straight Big Ten championship, which would tie it with the Michigan women's swimming & diving team for most consecutive titles in Big Ten women's team history.
The team will be led on the field by senior team captain and two-time NSCAA First Team All-American Alyssa Naeher. Joining the standout goalkeeper will be 2007 NSCAA Second Team All-American Katie Schoepfer, Penn State's leading scorer the last two years.
The Nittany Lions will stage an exhibition game on Saturday, August 15, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. against in-state rival Pittsburgh. That match is the lone tune up to Opening Day against ACC foe, Virginia, which is slated for Friday, August 21, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to join the Nittany Lions in being part of the largest crowd in Jeffrey Field history against the Cavaliers. Penn State will attempt to break the single-game record of 3,208, which was set in August 2006 during a women's match against UCLA. Admission is free to all PSU soccer matches this fall.
For complete coverage of all the Nittany Lion soccer this season, go to www.GoPSUsports.com/sports/w-soccer.
Follow Penn State women's soccer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PSUWomensSoccer.
--NITTANY LIONS--