The Case For Penn State
Penn State’s offense will remain dynamic and pump in a load of goals. The likes of Carter and Auth will pace the Nittany Lions to another top 20-scoring effort. The key will be if the Lions improve enough from last year’s 85th-ranked scoring defense to hold opponents at bay. If this happens, and the goalie situation is adequately solidified, Penn State could rise to one of the top 10 teams in the country and contend for a spot in the NCAA semifinals.
The Case Against Penn State
Penn State’s defense and goalie situation might still be too inexperienced. If this scenario plays out, the Nittany Lions will be fighting for their NCAA bid once again. Last season, Penn State was one of the final two teams admitted into the tournament, and only after it beat Northwestern in the Big Ten semifinals. Conceding 13 goals or more was a key indicator of the team’s success last season. The Lions went 3-9 in such games, while going 7-1 in games when allowing 12 or fewer.
Path to the Playoffs
If Penn State has a winning record, it will be in the NCAA tournament, as evidenced by last year’s 10-9 mark entering playoff time. The Nittany Lions face plenty of opportunities for key victories and a postseason berth. Along with the Big Ten slate — which includes Maryland, Northwestern and NCAA hopefuls Johns Hopkins, Michigan and Ohio State — Penn State will square off with defending champion JMU and three other seeded teams from last year’s tourney field in Loyola, Stony Brook and Towson.
Players To Watch
Madison Carter, A, Jr.
62G, 119 DC
Carter ranks second among active Division I players in career goals (180, trailing only BC’s Sam Apuzzo, 189), and third in career draw controls (310). Last year saw a slight dip in her per-game production, as more teams focused their top defenders against her. Carter is primed for a terrific senior season, as she’s just 20 goals shy of becoming Penn State’s fifth 200-goal scorer.
Kayla Brisolari, M, Sr.
76 DC, 24 CT
The quintessential glue player, Brisolari does a little bit of everything and does it well. Named to the IWLCA All-America third team, Brisolari made a mark all over the field — 76 draws, 24 caused turnovers, 23 ground balls and 10 goals — as a junior captain. She reprises her captaincy in 2019 as the team’s premier defensive midfielder.
Maria Auth, A, So.
54G, 17A
Auth’s paced the Lions’ offense with 71 points, emerging as a premier scorer. Auth and Carter provide a potent 1-2 punch, but more attention will be paid to Auth than last season.
National Rankings
Category
|
Rank
|
Value
|
Offense |
14th |
15.15/game |
Defense |
85th |
13.40/game |
Draws |
26th |
14.60/game |
Ground Balls |
98th |
15.65/game |
Caused TO |
53rd |
8.55/game |
Shooting |
25th |
44.5% |
FP Shooting |
25th |
45.9% |
Yellow Cards |
75th |
23 |
Power Ratings (Scale of 1-5)
Offense
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Defense
⭐⭐⭐
Goalkeeping
⭐⭐
Draw
⭐⭐⭐⭐
12.7
Turnovers per game. The Nittany Lions took care of the ball, ranking third nationally in fewest turnovers per game. Maintaining a premium on ball security kept the Lions afloat last year, while their young defense languished. If that same attention to detail is repeated this year, while its defense gains more experience, Penn State may return to the heights it achieved in 2016 and 2017.
5-Year Trend
Scoring Offense (GPG)
Year
|
Rank
|
Per Game
|
2014 |
15th |
13.1 |
2015 |
11th |
13.3 |
2016 |
12th |
12.8 |
2017 |
18th |
14.4 |
2018 |
14th |
15.2 |
Coach Confidential
Missy Doherty
“This team has a lot of things in order to be successful. We have really good older players combined with younger players contributing. We have camaraderie and work ethic. Some of those elements are so important. It’s just nice to come in with success and confidence. When we’ve had that before, we’ve done well before. We’re certainly excited to bring that to the table.”
Enemy Lines
“They have Carter on the draw, and she’s dominant. She’s a big body. Then they have Maria Auth, who’s just a quick, big goal scorer. They will lead that
team this year.”
“They were pretty young last year. They’ll be bringing back young players. They have a freshman goalie that is strong.”
“Lost Katie O’Donnell, but keep Madison Carter. Can they pull that defense together?”
“Will be interesting how they move forward without Katie O’Donnell. Athletic and fast — are they disciplined enough?”