Phone: 814-865-0659 | Email: ala17@psu.edu
Amy Altig, who works with the goalkeepers and defense, will enter her ninth season on the Penn State staff in 2019. She is entering her third season as Associate Head Coach after being appointed in January 2017.
In 2018, the Nittany Lions ranked fourth in the Big Ten in caused turnovers per game (8.55) on their way to an NCAA Tournament appearance for the seventh straight year. Penn State went 10-10 (3-3 in the Big Ten) and reached the Big Ten Championship game. Penn State held three opponents to under 10 goals.
Freshman goalie Lucy Lowe earned eight wins with 132 saves and a .419 save percentage. She was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on March 20 after making 10 saves in a win over Rutgers. Lowe had a season-best 13 saves against Northwestern (4/14), Michigan (4/27) and Northwestern (5/4) again in the Big Ten Semifinal.
Sophomore Madison Cunningham went 2-1 in 13 appearances. She had 57 saves and a .401 save percentage. Cunningham made a season-high 14 saves in a win over Lehigh. She added 10 saves in a start against Loyola.
In 2017, Altig helped guide the Nittany Lions to their second straight NCAA National Semifinal appearance and the most wins for the program since 1989 as they finished 17-4, the second most single-season wins all-time. Altig, helped senior goalie Cat Rainone to a career year as she was one of the top goaltenders in the Big Ten earning a 16-4 record with a .465 save percentage and a 10.73 goals against average.
In 2016, Altig helped guide Penn State to its first NCAA semifinal appearance in 17 seasons by coaching a strong defense and continuing her guidance of senior goalie Emi Smith ‘16.
After helping Penn State to a third NCAA quarterfinal appearance in four years in 2015, Altig was named IWLCA Assistant Coach of the Year and was inducted to the U.S. Lacrosse Virginia Chapter Hall of Fame.
Altig was vital to Penn State’s run to the NCAA quarterfinals that season by coaching Emi Smith, who was named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year and earned IWLCA All-America honors. The team went 16-5 and earned a final season ranking of No. 5. Smith anchored a defense that helped Penn State win the inaugural 2015 Big Ten Tournament championship.
During her third season, Altig played a pivotal role in the development of freshman goalkeeper Emi Smith. Under her guidance, Smith helped lead the Nittany Lions to their second straight NCAA quarterfinal appearance and a share of their first ALC regular-season championship.
In 2012, Altig helped coach a Penn State defense that ranked nationally in the top 20 for most of the season. Under her tutelage, Dana Cahill became one of just two goalkeepers to be selected as a Tewaaraton Award nominee. Cahill was named an IWLCA Second Team All-American, a First Team All-ALC selection as she became the first Nittany Lion to named a two-time ALC Goalkeeper of the Year.
In her first season at Penn State, Altig was instrumental in Cahill’s development into one of the nation’s top goalkeepers. In her first full season as a starter, Cahill earned First Team All-ALC and First Team IWLCA First Team All-West/Midwest Region honors and was named the 2011 ALC Goalkeeper of the Year. She led the ALC in save percentage (.466) and ranked fourth in goals against average (9.95).
Prior to coming to Happy Valley, Altig spent three years as an assistant at Princeton, working primarily with the goalkeepers. With the Tigers, Altig helped develop an All-American in net and establish Princeton as one of the Ivy League’s and nation’s top defenses. During her three-year stint, the Tigers compiled a 33-19 record and qualified for the NCAA Tournament twice.
Previous to her time at Princeton, Altig served as the top assistant coach at the University of Richmond for two seasons. While with the Spiders, they won two Atlantic-10 titles and earned two bids to the NCAA postseason. Her work with the goalkeepers and the defense helped Richmond lead the A-10 in goals against average. Altig played collegiately at James Madison University, receiving All-CAA honors twice as a standout goalkeeper. In her senior season, she ranked in the top 20 in Division I in save percentage and goals against average.
Altig was named to the U.S. Senior National Team for the second consecutive year in the summer of 2011. The squad served as the foundation for the team that competed in the 2013 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Cup in Oshawa, Ontario. The U.S. Senior National Team came together for several events including the Stars & Stripes Weekend in October 2011 and the Champion Challenge in January 2012 and conducted numerous national team player clinics throughout the year at various places around the country.
Altig was an alternate on the 2009 U.S. World Cup Team and has been a member of several U.S. Elite and Development Teams. In the summer of 2008, she earned a spot on the U.S. Touring Team that traveled to the Czech Republic to compete in the Prague Cup.
In August 2011, Altig visited Honduras to introduce native children to the sport of lacrosse and provide them with an all-around sport experience. While in the Central American nation, Altig ran daily “sport camps” for the village children on municipal and school fields, helping to teach the sport of lacrosse but also playing soccer, baseball, and football with groups of children ranging in ages between four and 16.
A native of Millersburg, Md. Altig earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a concentration in sports management from James Madison in 2005.