Oct. 11, 2013
By Matt Allibone, GoPSUsport.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa- Earlier this season, with her team sporting a 2-1-1 record through four matches, Penn State women's soccer head coach Erica found herself facing a dilemma. What should she do with Tani Costa?
While Costa had established herself as a starter in the Nittany Lions lineup, Walsh was beginning to feel as though the talented redshirt senior forward would be a better fit coming off the bench.
"Earlier in the season we were trying to get Tani to heat up," said Walsh. "She's a player that is most effective when the game slows down and that made us determine that she'd be better coming off the bench."
While the move from starter to reserve would discourage most players, especially one in the midst of her final season, Costa has thrived as the Lions first player off the bench.
Through 13 games, Costa is second on the team in both goals (5) and points (15), with all but one goal coming since she moved out of the starting 11.
"As soon as we moved her [out of the starting lineup] she has embraced the role and started scoring," said Walsh. "She's had no change in attitude and she's arguably one of our most dangerous players right now."
Although the change was a difficult adjustment for the Honolulu, Hawaii native to make at first, it didn't take long for her to warm up to the idea.
With the team's second unit in need of a scoring boost and other talented scorers such as senior Maya Hayes and sophomore Mallory Weber entrenched as starters, Costa soon realized that Walsh's choice of how to use her skillset was the correct one.
"It didn't take me long to realize that I have a very important role whether I'm starting or not," said Costa. "It allows me to set a high standard for everyone else coming off the bench and I'm happy to do it."
What has made the senior so deadly as a reserve, according to her coach, has been her skills as a finisher.
While many of Penn State's forwards rely on their speed in the open field, Costa is a player who works well within the confines of the penalty box, making her an excellent complement to the Nittany Lions starters.
"The start of a game can be really fast and that's not always Tani's game," said Walsh. "If we put Tani in the box we know she can finish and that makes her different from the rest."
Costa, who has three goals in the Lions last three wins, relishes playing close to the net, where she has the ability to show off her array of moves, including one that Hayes has nicknamed the "Tani Shuffle."
"Working inside of the box is my bread and butter," said Costa. "I've always called myself a finisher and not a goal-scorer because I'm good at shaking past defenders and making the little touches."
The acceptance and positive attitude that Costa has shown to her new role has impressed all of her teammates, both young and old.
Weber, who has started for the Nittany Lions since arriving at Penn State as a freshman last year, stated that she is amazed by the leadership that Costa has continued to show from the sidelines.
"Tani is one of the most mentally tough people I have ever met," said Weber. "She's always upbeat and she's shown all of us how to take what comes your way without complaining."
The admiration that Weber has for Costa is also shared by many of the Nittany Lions veterans such as Hayes and senior forward Taylor Schram.
"You can tell that Tani has come into her own because she is leading players that nobody else leads and they're listening to her," said Walsh. "I've asked Maya (Hayes) who she listens to and she always says Tani Costa."
Now in the fifth year of a Penn State career that has provided her with numerous challenges, adjusting to a reserve role has been a piece of cake for a player who has endured much worse.
After being named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team in 2010, Costa tore her right ACL during preseason of her sophomore season and was forced to spend the entire year rehabbing.
"Going through that was a heartbreaker but it taught me that when I came back I had to be twice as good as I was before I got hurt," said Costa. "I've had my fair share of ups and downs and they've all prepared me for this year."
With her final season at Penn State more than half way over, Costa feels she can honestly say that she has never player better, regardless of when she enters the game.
When the Nittany Lions take the field, they know their opponent has to worry about Tani Costa, and that is all that matters.
"I've been through such a journey these past five years and I feel like I'm mentally tough enough to handle any kind of expectations that I have," said Costa. "I feel like I'm the best that I've ever been."