Sept. 3, 2015
By Jack Dougherty, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" Superstitions have been a focal point of sports for decades. Baseball players turn their caps inside out during their last at-bat to spark a rally, while NBA stars have pregame rituals like the LeBron James chalk toss. There's nothing like the boost of confidence a player receives from their good luck charm.
For women's soccer standout Frannie Crouse, it's her lucky bow.
Crouse, a product of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, was never fond of her first name. She abandoned Frances at an early age and picked up Fran and Crouse along the way.
"My parents started calling me Crouse when I was really young," said Crouse. "I think Frances sounds more like an old name, so I've been going by Crouse my whole life. I only get called Frances when my parents are mad at me."
In high school, Crouse and her bow teamed up to capture two consecutive state championships for Greensburg Catholic. They also notched three State Cup Championships and a third-place finish nationally in 2010 for Beadling Soccer Club. During her remarkable career, Crouse racked up more goals than any other player in Pennsylvania history.
Crouse gained plenty of attention from college coaches and scouts right away. Before choosing Penn State, she yielded a plethora of offers from the best in college soccer, including Big Ten rival Maryland.
"I loved everything about Penn State when I visited," Crouse said. "The coaches were awesome and I just knew it was the place for me. I think I definitely made the right choice."
Upon her arrival in Happy Valley, Crouse feared college rules and regulations would prohibit her from being able to wear the bow. Before the season opener against West Virginia last year, Crouse approached the coaching staff and asked if she could wear it on the field. She got the thumbs up from head coach Erica Walsh, but under one condition. The true freshman had to score in her first ever collegiate appearance or the bow was history.
The nerves generated from the magnitude of one's first college game are difficult to overcome themselves. Throw in the fact that West Virginia was ranked 12th in the nation, Jeffery Field was packed, and Crouse needed to score in limited minutes. Her chances seemed slim, but Crouse was unfazed.
With the bow tucked comfortably in her shorts, Crouse made her way onto Jeffrey Field for the first time. Twelve minutes later, she scored her first goal.
"After I scored, I immediately grabbed the bow and put it in my hair," said Crouse. "I didn't doubt for a second that I wasn't going to score. I needed to score. Looking back, it's my most memorable goal."
From then on, Crouse wore her bow throughout her freshman year. With a little help from the accessory, Crouse went on to lead the Nittany Lions in goals (10) in her first season at Penn State. Her stellar play earned her a spot on the All-Big Ten Second Team and All-Freshman Team.
"I honestly didn't expect to have such a good first year," Crouse said. "I got a ton of good experience in high school, but nothing compares to the college game. It's great to play with so many play makers that can set you up for easy goals."
Although somewhat surprised at her immediate success at the collegiate level, Crouse doesn't plan on slowing down this season. In the first four games of her sophomore year, she has already tallied two goals for the Blue and White in 242 minutes played.
Crouse's early play has the seventh-ranked Nittany Lions sitting at 3-0-1 heading into a tough matchup with a familiar foe, the Mountaineers of West Virginia.
Assuming Crouse and her bow stay on the same page this year, Penn State has aspirations of a big season. Crouse leads a fantastic group of underclassmen and former top recruits who have already shown they can play in this league, while Mallory Weber and Rocky Rodriguez head the proven veterans.
"A national championship is our ultimate goal," said Crouse. "But right now we're focused on getting better every day and trying to become the best team possible. We've all been working very hard in practice, and we're very confident with the team we have this year."
Like Calvin Cambridge and his sneakers in "Like Mike", with the bow properly arranged in her hair, sky is the limit for Frannie Crouse.