Sept. 14, 2010
NITTANY LION PROFILE: Junior Carly Niness
Throughout the 2010 season, Penn State will feature a student athlete before every home game. The feature will appear in the game program. Penn State takes on Bucknell on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
By Steven Hughes, GoPSUsports.com Writer
The past two seasons had head coach Erica Walsh spinning Carly Niness around positions like a roulette ball trying to land a winning number for her talents last year.
After playing Niness as a forward and midfielder, Walsh decided to position Niness into the center-back defense of the Penn State women's soccer team this season.
To cope with the changes, Niness uses her athleticism, competitiveness and humor to improve the team in any way that she can.
Walsh said her ability to learn on the fly while using her skill and grit to grow as a player continues to keep her on the field.
"We're putting her in a really uncomfortable situation and she's doing a fantastic job," Walsh said. "We're throwing her to the wolves and she makes mistakes and she just keeps going."
Her effort is her strength and Walsh said it is shows on the field.
"She's a raw athlete who literally gets better every day," added Walsh. "She's in the lineup, she's out of the lineup. It doesn't matter it's the same Carly.
"She's there to work hard. She is such a good team player."
Niness said her hard work that shows at practice translated over from her track experiences. Whether it be chasing down lob passes or catching defenders in the open field, her experience in track gave her confidence to do her best at all times.
"The competitiveness that comes from track is a huge play when it comes to soccer," Niness said. "Because you want to win. You want to be first."
Not only does Niness's athletic ability and competitiveness shine for Penn State, but her fun, light-hearted and sometimes goofy personality brings the team together through tough times. Emma Thomson said Niness is able to keep Penn State's spirits high in frustrating situations that could easily breed a defeatist attitude for the team.
"If you are freaking out too much and you're really over agitated, you just, I guess Carly is the girl you would look at and just be like, calm down a little bit," Thomson noted. "If you take things too seriously...you can never take things too seriously with Carly."
Walsh said the team is lucky to have someone who makes such a positive imprint on them.
"Carly makes us laugh," said Walsh. "Despite losses or family problems, we have someone on the team who makes us laugh."
Niness struck the right chord with her teammates after a humorous moment last season.
Niness suffered a concussion last year removing her temporarily from practices. Until her symptoms were gone, she had to watch from the sidelines while the team prepared for the next game.
"They told me I couldn't have contact yet," Niness recalled. "No headings or stuff like that."
Early one practice, possibility presented itself to Niness in the form of a thick, blocky ski helmet. She saw an opportunity to play with her teammates and decided it was worth a shot.
"If you are freaking out too much and you're really over agitated, you just, I guess Carly is the girl you would look at and just be like, calm down a little bit. If you take things too seriously...you can never take things too seriously with Carly."Co-Captain Emma Thomson |
"I was like `Alright, if I wear this helmet, there's no way I can get another concussion,'" Niness said as she trotted onto the field to begin warm ups with her new found headgear.
Thomson said Niness's protective hat created a moment she'll never forget.
"Coach was trying to give a talk," Thomson remembered. "And Carly comes running out with this massive helmet on her head saying `Coach I'm ready to play. I'm ready to play.' The whole training field was just cracking up.
"She's really funny, there's never a dull moment when she's around."
"I think that I definitely have a goofy side to me, but I know when to be serious," Niness said. "When people get too serious sometimes they can get into themselves and you have to get them back out of it."
Niness is serious about her grades. Coach Walsh said the criminal justice major earned her way to the dean's list last year.
"You can't look at her without smiling," Walsh gushed. "She's a bit crazy in the head, but she's a dean's list student because she's used the resources at Penn State to her advantage.
"It's hard to believe when sitting and talking to her, but she's very responsible."
Niness will look to keep playing as the team faces Bucknell on Wednesday. Regardless of how Walsh decides to use her, Niness said she will work hard in any capacity.
"Where the team needs me the most is where I'll be playing," she said.
--NITTANY LIONS--