Sept. 24, 2015
By Jack Dougherty, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" They say defense wins championships. This has been true since the dawn of athletics and holds true in every sport imaginable. If a team can't stop its opponents from scoring, there's simply no hope.
Head coach Erica Walsh's Nittany Lions have proved this point over and over, capturing seven Big Ten titles in her first eight seasons on the sideline. The emphasis in each of these seasons: defense, defense, and more defense.
Spectacularly, Walsh might have her best defensive assemblage this year, and it starts between the posts.
Redshirt senior Britt Eckerstrom has been the rock in net for the past three years. In her third year as the starter, Eckerstrom is looking better than ever.
She has already notched four shutouts in the first nine games of 2015, and she won't be stopping at that number. Last year, she totaled eight. This year, she's on pace for the same number halfway through the season.
"Britt Eckerstrom has really come into her own," said Walsh. "She is the most important part of our shutouts up to this point, and bringing our young back line together. She's a massive piece of the puzzle for us right now, and most importantly she's our leader."
Eckerstrom takes the capital C on her jersey very seriously. Considering the inexperience of PSU's defensive unit, her job as field general is just as important as her role as goal stopper. Eckerstrom is noticeably vocal from kickoff to the final whistle, managing the defensive shifts and letting her teammates know where the opposition is at all times.
"Britt's a great goalkeeper," said freshman Ellie Jean. "Her talk on the field is always reassuring, and we can always count on her to make huge saves."
The back line may be young, but there's plenty of talent. Two freshmen, Jean and Kaleigh Riehl, have started in every game so far in their careers. Elizabeth Ball and Brittany Basinger, both sophomores, are the only starting defenders with prior collegiate experience.
"These guys have been lights out this year," Eckerstrom said. "They're super organized and are connecting really well. We're finally coming together as a group. Those shutouts have a little bit to do with me, but mostly it's my back line."
"Undoubtedly Britt is the glue of the back line," said Walsh. "She has them believing in themselves. She has them believing in their ability to hold off the other team. She rallies the group when they've put a ball in the back of the net, and there's an incredible amount of faith in her and her ability from the team."
Collectively, the defensive unit has allowed a mere 0.78 goals per game this season, but Eckerstrom carries a 0.56 average when she's in net. She's in reach to set a career-best in that category if she can get that number under 0.51.
Penn State's most impressive showing took place on Sept. 11 in Palo Alto. Following a loss to West Virginia, the Nittany Lions blanked the second-ranked Stanford, 2-0, in what could be pinned as the turning point for PSU defensively.
Before the Stanford win, the Blue and White were surrendering 1.4 goals per game. The win propelled the Nittany Lions to two more shutouts in a row in what became a streak of 383 straight shutout minutes before they conceded a goal.
Eckerstrom and the back line are starting to gel at the perfect time. Big Ten competition is freshly underway, and every remaining game on the schedule carries more weight than the last. The emergence of Jean and Riehl has the team dreaming of big things.
"Everyone has the same goal right now, to win a national championship," Eckerstrom said. "We have to take it one game at a time. As captain, I have to be loud for my defense, but there's tons of other voices on the field that we need for each game."
One blemish regarding the back line is finishing games as strong as it starts them. This season, Penn State has given up five of their seven goals allowed in the second half. The Nittany Lions' opponents are outshooting PSU 57-55 after halftime, whereas Penn State is outshooting the opposition 62-33 in the first half.
If they can work out the kinks in the second frame, this is a defensive unit has the potential to be consistently among the best in the nation. With every conference foe gunning to take down the Big Ten favorites, their play will have to elevate in the home stretch. Eckerstrom and company are battle-tested, and they should be able to handle whatever the conference throws at them.