Oct. 16, 2013
By Matt Allibone, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Coming off of a season in which they made the program's first appearance in a National Championship Game and with a lineup featuring eight returning starters, the Penn State women's soccer team entered the 2013 season with the expectation that the sky was the limit.
The biggest question that remained happened to center around arguably the most important position on the field. How would redshirt sophomore goalie Britt Eckerstrom fare in replacing graduating senior Erin McNulty?
"We knew that Britt (Eckerstrom) had the background and the pedigree to handle the position," said head coach Erica Walsh. "It was a daily routine over the last year to make sure that she was ready to go."
It hasn't taken long for Eckerstrom to prove that she has been ready all along, as the second year player has been a rock for the Nittany Lions, leading them to a 10-3-1 record while making 55 saves and posting a 1.45 goals against average.
The Germantown, Md native has been especially impressive in the Nittany Lions victories, allowing just 11 goals in 10 wins while posting two shutouts.
"She's made game winning saves in most of our games so I've been really impressed," said Walsh. "Keepers at this level have to be able to make those kinds of saves and she's been able to do it on a consistent basis."
Faced with the task of becoming the backbone of a lineup of mostly veterans, Eckerstrom has embraced the opportunity with open arms.
After a redshirt freshman campaign in which she started and won four games, the Nittany Lion keeper could not have been more excited about the chance to become a mainstay between the posts.
"I was super pumped," said Eckerstrom. "I got a little bit of game experience under my belt last year so I came into this year feeling really good."
Already blessed with the athleticism and height to be an elite college goalkeeper, the 5-foot-10 Eckerstrom has steadily improved the other aspects of her game as the season has gone along, namely her leadership and her communication.
One of the team's most mild mannered and soft-spoken players off the field, Eckerstrom has learned how bark out directions in order to keep the Penn State backline in place and on the same page during games.
"Her communication has been a big improvement," said junior defender Whitney Church. "She really controls us in the back and makes sure we know when to check our shoulder and who's coming up on us from either side."
Along with being more vocal, Eckerstrom has impressed her teammates and coaches alike with her poise and knack for staying calm in pressure situations.
During a season that has seen the Blue and White win five one-goal games, including a double overtime thriller against Northwestern, their goalie's cool nature late in contests has been indispensable.
"She's coming into her own and every game you see her growing more and more confident," said Walsh. "I think our whole team has an incredible confidence with Britt back there."
For Eckerstrom, dealing with pressure is just something that comes with the territory of playing the position.
"Part of being a keeper is having a short-term memory and always thinking about what's next," said Eckerstrom. "Sometimes you will give up a goal but you have to forget because it's the next play and the next save that counts."
Someone who has been instrumental in Eckerstrom's development from promising redshirt to team linchpin has been assistant coach Tim Wassell.
Stop by the team's practice field long after drills have ended and you'll most likely find Wassell continuing to work with the Nittany Lions starting goalie long after the rest of the players have retired for the day.
"Tim does hours and hours of video work, breaking down the smallest details that make the difference in the game," said Eckerstrom. "He's very diligent and we worked me really hard throughout the spring to make sure I was ready for the fall."
While Eckerstrom may be one of the newest additions to the Lions starting lineup, she is certainly not on the outside of the team's veteran core.
According to her teammates, the goalie has fit in with the rest of the squad seamlessly both on and off the field.
"Britt has always been someone that has had a dynamic with every single person on the team," said Church. "It was really easy for her to come in as a starter and it's been a seamless change."
For Eckerstrom, taking on a bigger role with the team has been about nothing more than doing her job and being herself.
"I just go in there with confidence every day," said Eckerstrom. "So far I think it's been going pretty well."