By Michael Renahan, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State Nittany Lions fell to the Northwestern Wildcats, 15-7, in the NCAA quarterfinals Saturday night in Evanston.

The loss marked the end to an extremely successful season for head coach Missy Doherty and her team. It was the third time the Nittany Lions loss to the Wildcats in 2013 and second year in a row they lost in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.

Freshman Madison Cyr had a solid night for the Nittany Lions scoring two goals on three shots and playing hard defense against the Wildcats. Along with Cyr, fellow freshman Jenna Mosketti had two goals while Molly Fernandez, Kelly Lechner and Maggie McCormick each had one.

On a warm night in Evanston the Nittany Lions struggled to get going offensively allowing the Wildcats to jump out to an early lead. The normally sound Nittany Lions turned the ball over often in the early parts of the game and the Northwestern Wildcats took advantage taking a 5-0 lead in the first 20 minutes.

As a team, Penn State turned the ball over seven times in the first half to just four from the Wildcats. The Nittany Lion's difficulties controlling the ball continued limiting the team to just three goals in the first half. By the end of the game, the Nittany Lions had started to play their style forcing the Wildcats into seven turnovers of their own, but it was too little too late.

Penn State scored four goals over a six minute span in the second half of the game to bring the deficit down to eight, but they would not be able to bring it any closer than that by the final whistle. They outscored the Wildcats 4-2 in the second half and took three more shots, but the 13-3 first half deficit was too much to overcome.

The fast pace Nittany Lions could not get out on breaks early to get transition goals. Penn State has been dominant with their transition play in 2013, but the Wildcat defense shut down the Nittany Lion offense throughout the game. Penn State only had four shots in the first half and 16 by the end of the game.

Penn State also struggled off the draw. The Nittany Lions had had success in the circle during the early rounds of the NCAA tournament against Canisius College and University of Massachusetts, but the Wildcats owned the draw control on Saturday night grabbing 25 to Penn State's 17.

Defensively the Nittany Lions battled hard but struggled to keep the Wildcats off the scoreboard. Northwestern moved the ball very effectively against the Nittany Lions finding cutters and drawing fouls to create free position opportunities. It felt as if the entire first half was played in Penn State's defensive zone.

Emi Smith was unable to repeat her solid outing from last weekend. The freshman allowed eight goals in the first half before Doherty put in backup goalie Ayla Halus. Smith did return to the game in the second half and played much better recording two saves.

In the first half the Wildcats had five free position opportunities scoring on three of them to widen the lead. In uncharacteristic fashion, the Nittany Lions committed 12 first half fouls to help allow the Wildcats to control the pace of the game.  Throughout the season, the Penn State defense had become known for its hard, but intelligent, contesting of opponents. They took charges and forced turnovers regularly but were unable to do so Saturday night.

Seniors Katie Guy and Colleen Shea played at an extremely high level against the Wildcats. Shea had two forced turnovers, but a team high six fouls. Guy, who entered the game No. 10 in the nation in caused turnovers, had three of her own in the setback.

The 2013 season was the most successful under third year coach Missy Doherty. The Nittany Lions took a very young team far into the NCAA tournament. Throughout the year, the team grew both offensively and defensively and matured together. Penn State saw players like Maggie McCormick and Kelly Lechner become stars and a freshman class that is sure to excel in the coming years.

The Nittany Lions enter the offseason with a lot to be proud of. While they didn't win a national championship this season, they certainly set high expectations going forward. 

Women's Volleyball European Trip - May 15, 2013: That's a Wrap!

As I write this blog, I am completely exhausted by jet lag. This 10-day trek through central Europe was one that I will never forget. Over the last week and half, a bus full of players, coaches, and boosters had the opportunity to dive into the cultures of 5 different cities in 4 different countries. To say that our bodies and sleeping patterns were out of whack would be an understatement.

Early Wednesday morning after a relaxing last evening in the lobby, we all boarded the bus to the Milan airport. This time, unfortunately, all of the bags did not fit under the bus due to the increased size of the suitcases filled with gifts and shopping bags acquired throughout the trip. All of the girls used a weighing device to ensure all bags were under that dreaded 50 pound mark. Once the aisles of the bus were filled with suitcases, we were on our way to the airport.

After a smooth check-in process and a quick flight from Milan to Paris, we were left with a 4-hour layover in Charles de Gaulle airport. Our terminal was filled with high-end shops such as Prada, Fendi, Gucci and many more! The highlight of our time in Paris was when Wayne took a seat at the piano and started playing the Penn State fight song and alma mater! We all sang along right before we boarded the airplane.
Just about 8 hours later we landed in Philadelphia and made it through customs and immigration without any delays or problems. Before the rest of the group climbed onto the bus back to State College, I said my goodbyes to all because I was driving back to New Jersey with my family who met me at the airport.

I will never forget the memories I made on this trip with so many wonderful people. I want to thank all of you in the booster club for your countless hours of hard work over the past few years, which allowed us to enjoy such an incredible experience! I look forward to seeing you all in Rec Hall this fall!

Marika Racibarskas

Women's Volleyball European Trip - May 14, 2013: Ciao, Venice!

Hello, people. Today we are leaving Venice and making our way to our last stop in Europe. We woke up early, ate some delicious NUTELLA croissants, and bussed to Milan, Italy. On our way to Milan we saw a part of the Alps mountain range outside our bus window. It was cooooool.

Immediately entering into Milan, we went and ate lunch at the training center. We had it family style, meaning we started the meal with a pasta dish and then they would bring out a salad and the main course. As for the pasta, they added green onions and some bacon. Typically, I do not like onions at all, but our tour guide, TK, insisted I try them, and I ended up really enjoying them in the pasta. The main dish ended up being pork. It was good, but I could have definitely handled going for seconds.

After eating a tasty lunch, we walked over to our hotel and got ready to play the Italian National Team. We suited up and walked to the training center where we would serve and pass. After our serve pass, we would begin the European structured warm up and then compete. In the end of our scrimmage, we ended up splitting the games. They won 2 games and we won the other 2 games. Though, it was exciting to split a game with the Italian national team, it would have been nice to play out a fifth set. However, we would play them again the next day, anyway.

After the scrimmage, we went to our hotel and got ready to explore down town. We were all dressed up in the lobby and then made our way to the tram. We then got onto the tram and made our way to down town. Upon arrival, we immediately gathered around the Duomo. It was absolutely beautiful and we all took some pictures with it. After taking pictures, we dispersed and did whatever we wanted. I went and got dinner with Micha, Paulina, Deja, Chris, and Scott (also known as Jeremy). We went to a nice restaurant where I ordered a sea food antipasta. It was my favorite meal of the trip. It consisted of muscles, squid, shrimp, a nice sauce and bread. Before I dived into my plate, I had Micha take a picture of me eating an octopus tentacle, because it was cool.

After a fine meal with friends, the day was over and we took the #14 tram home and called it a day. #JEAH

Lacey Fuller

Women's Volleyball European Trip - May 12, 2013: Shopping in Milan!

For Milan as a city I experienced great shopping, if you know how to hunt for reasonable prices. I ran into two great shops that weren't high in cost but great quality and did a little splurging! I'm so thankful that I got the opportunity to come here and experience even just the city of a beautiful country.

Now for the volleyball...

After getting a taste of how the Italian National team plays and who we need to focus on, we should have a better handle on what to neutralize. We have to be more focused and crisp with our serve and pass game, but other than that the team is showing great effort. We have had such a eye opening experience playing and talking to pros throughout the trip. We are so blessed to have support like this boosters, parents and a university that backs us! Thank you all so much! CIAO!
Micha Hancock

Women's Volleyball European Trip - May 11, 2013: Hello from Slovenia!

We had another great day in Maribor. The day started off with a big spread of meats and cheeses and other classic breakfast foods which filled us up for the morning activities. We went straight from breakfast to practice where we had our best practice of the trip thus far. During practice, we had three professional players play with us, which was cool for everyone to get to play beside them but to also ask them questions about the professional world of volleyball in Europe. Following up from practice we took a bus into town as a group with the team and boosters to have lunch and explore Maribor. We went to a great pizzeria which was very yummy. They also had dishes of pasta and lasagna and by the look of some of my teammates plates, it looked delicious. For those of us who got pizza we each got our own personal pizza that was a challenge to finish it all but we all rose to the challenge! After lunch we walked around and of course we found ourselves some gelato.

Later in the day we had our second match against the Croatian National team. We competed very hard and came out with the 3-1 win. They were an extremely good team filled with a ton of experience and different ages. Ariel had a great game for the second day in a row and was one of the key factors to our win. Following the match we went to dinner at one of the best vineyards in Europe. The Croatian team came to dinner with us which was great to get to know them and to hear their insight on professional volleyball as well. We had a fantastic meal at the vineyard which completed our wonderful stay in Maribor. Thank you to all who made this trip possible. It's truly been amazing. Off to Venice!

Maddie Martin

Hey everyone! I hope you have all been following along our blogs about this amazing experience in Europe thus far! For me, being out the country is a completely different and new experience. Although my time in Europe is winding down, I can't even explain the beauty of Europe. If you have been following along, you may have noticed that we all have different topics to talk about. Well I was lucky enough to get one of the most beautiful and breathtaking tourist attractions in all of the world. Venice, Italy was an amazing city to see and walk around in. As many of you might already know there are gondolas, which are the boats that are famous to travel around the city. As I walked around the city, it was very hard to find your way around. We quickly found out that once you passed a store, there was a slim to none chance you were going to find it again. The girls, boosters, coaches, and managers walked around the city to meet in the main square to see the main attraction, the Basilica de San Marco. It was a beautiful church with architecture like I have never seen before. Fortunately for all of us, the weather as very cooperative until about the last twenty or so minutes when it started to rain. It was just an incredible view from evey way you looked. I think I can speak for everyone when I say this has truly been an experience of a lifetime that we will never forget. Everything about it has been breathtaking. I hope to see everyone soon and tell you all about this amazing trip that wouldn't be made possible without all of your generosity and support for the progress! We have made Penn State proud over here in Europe. We wear those letters with pride and always represent who we are.

We Are....
Megan Courtney

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Behind a five-run third inning and a complete game, five-hit shutout from junior Greg Welsh on the mound, the Nittany Lions (14-35, 4-19) belted 17 hits en route to a 9-0 victory over Michigan State (32-17, 11-9) on a sun-splashed Friday afternoon at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

On a day where all nine Nittany Lions in the lineup tallied hits, sophomore catcher J.C. Coban opened the scoring with an RBI base hit through the middle of the infield in the bottom of the first inning.  However, it was Coban's second RBI single on a sharply hit ball to right field in the top of the third that opened the gates for Penn State's second shutout of the 2013 season.

"There was a big hole up the middle, and all I was trying to do was put the ball up the middle in my first at bat," Coban said.  "It was huge to get contributions from a number of different guys (in the third inning)."

Freshman left fielder James Coates kick-started the big third with a single to left field.  In total, the Lions notched six hits in the third, which included a two-RBI double from senior Matt Paradise just inside the left field line.  An Elliot Searer RBI single to left capped the scoring to make it 6-0.

From there, the junior southpaw on the mound took over.  Welsh tossed his first career complete game performance while yielding just five hits.  He struck out just two and walked one on 102 pitches.  Welsh pitched with great tempo and developed an early rhythm to shut down Michigan State.

"Coach Bell always tells me, and I believe it, too, that I am really good in a fast tempo," Welsh said.  "I'm not really thinking about each pitch to just keep on rolling.  He did a good job in the dugout telling me to just keep it up.  There was a time in the middle of the game where I kind of slowed it down when I was in the stretch, but I picked it up and like working fast."

Michigan State leadoff batter Cam Gibson doubled to open the game.  Welsh then retired the next nine batters before the Spartans led off the fourth inning with a single.  The key to the superb outing for Welsh was his ability to throw strikes.

"Throwing strikes is huge," Welsh said.  "Recently, including myself, the whole staff has really had trouble throwing strikes and giving our defense a chance to make plays.  I was really happy trusting my defense back there and pitching to contact, and they had my back all day."

The Nittany Lions added three more tallies in the bottom of the eighth to put the game out of reach, thanks to an RBI single from Luis Montesinos and a two-RBI single from Zach Ell.

One day after falling 16-1 in the series opener against Michigan State, the Nittany Lions looked like a completely different ball club on Friday.  Seven different players notched at least two hits, led by Coban's three-hit, two-RBI effort at the DH spot.  Friday marked Penn State's largest offensive output in Big Ten play this season with 17 hits and nine runs.

"We're still fighting, and we are still competing," Coban said.  "Greg (Welsh) was battling his butt off out there, so we had to do our job out there, too."

"It was a great win for us, a huge win," Welsh said.

The Nittany Lions and Spartans will again do battle on Saturday in the regular season finale.  Penn State will honor its senior class prior to the 1:05 p.m. first pitch at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.


Follow GoPSUsports.com's Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony

By Michael Renahan, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After opening the NCAA Tournament with two wins last weekend in Happy Valley, the Penn State Nittany Lions hit the road to take on a familiar foe in the Northwestern Wildcats.

The two teams have met twice this year with Northwestern winning both matchups.

"All bets are off with what happened in the regular season. There is this new energy, people know this could be their last game, so we know Northwestern is going to bring a pretty good fight and we just have to be ready to stay in our own game plan," head coach Missy Doherty said. "They play an aggressive defense, they try to rush our offense and we just have to be patient and in control and have the first step forward."

During the weekend, Penn State showcased a talented offense and a tenacious defense, two things they will need to beat the Wildcats. The Penn State offense was patient and diligent in their attack against both the University of Massachusetts Minutewomen and the Canisius College Golden Griffins.

The Nittany Lions had consistent ball movement on the offensive end, which allowed the cutters to work the field and get the best look possible. The quick feet of the attackers and midfielders opened the field up allowing the feeders to see them as they went to goal.

"I think both Canisius and UMass were really good opponents coming into this game. UMass, they pressure out a lot and we had to be able to handle that pressure. I thought the offense moved the ball much better than they had in the past and started to see each other really well," Doherty said. "It was a good lead up to our next game, but we just have to take care of the ball and do the simple things well and not come out of our game plan.

On the defensive end, Emi Smith had her one of her more solid performances of the 2013 season against UMass and the defense stood tall against two potent offenses. Smith, a freshman, made seven saves, including some crucial free position stops against both teams.

"She's a competitor. She knows that its playoff time and she came up with a great game against UMass and she had a really good game against Northwestern when we took them to overtime," Doherty said. "Like every other young player on the team, she's had some experiences that will be just like our experience on Saturday. When you know what you're kind of in for it takes some of the pressure off and hopefully she will be ready to play."

As a team, they forced bad passes, generated turnovers and, when it mattered most, shut down their opponent. Both Canisius and UMass were on the verge of completing comebacks when the Nittany Lions answered the challenged and pulled out victories.

The Northwestern Wildcats, reigning national champions, boast a quick effective defense that forces offenses out of their original game plan. They do their best to take away cutters and have a very effective goalkeeper in Bridget Bianco.

Bianco, a sophomore, is allowing 7.60 goals per game, good for No. 6 in the nation. Bianco was recently named first-team IWLCA All-West/Midwest Region. She, and the rest of the defense, has limited the Nittany Lions to just 11 goals in the two matchups.

Penn State, however, is ready for the challenge. With attackers like Maggie McCormick, Mackenzie Cyr and Molly Fernandez playing at their best, the Nittany Lions want to score more goals and compete with the defense. The Nittany Lions have one of the most balanced attacks in the conference and will need help from every player again to beat the Wildcats.

"I think, especially playing a team like Northwestern, you have to have a lot of legs. You have to be ready to run. We need a lot of people who are not going to sit back and play it safe, but are going to take some risks," Doherty said. "Thankfully, we have some athletic people on the bench who can come kind of come in and contribute, and you've kind of seen that the last couple games."

Currently, nine Penn State players have 13 goals or more. They are paced by McCormick with 49 goals and Kelly Lechner with 46 goals. Along with those two, the Nittany Lions have relied on the hot hands of Molly Fernandez and Mackenzie Cyr in the offensive end. The two have been crucial this postseason combining for 16 points in the first two games.

McCormick and Lechner both earned IWLCA All-American Honors on Wednesday. McCormick and Lechner were both named to the second team.

Defensively, the Nittany Lions match up well against the Wildcats. With the steady play from seniors Katie Guy and Colleen Shea, and the emergence of junior midfielder Lauren Purvis, Penn State looks to limit an offense that scores around 12 goals a game. Guy, recently named to the IWLCA All-American third team, is No. 10 in the nation with 1.95 caused turnovers a game. The defense continues to improve game and after game and Saturday should be no different.

The Wildcats are led by senior midfielder Erin Fitzgerald and junior midfielder Alyssa Leonard. Fitzgerald has scored over 50 goals this season, while Leonard has 32 of her own and set the school record for draw controls with 120.

On the road this season, the Nittany Lions are 4-5 and have been outscored 114-102. One of the losses, an 11-3 bout against Northwestern. Doherty, however, says the team has to look past its road record.

"I think a game is a game. Our tougher, higher ranked opponents have been on the road this year so it's somewhat reasonable that that's how our record worked out," Doherty said. "The NCAAs, whether you're on the road or at home, just provide a whole new sense of urgency and excitement so no matter where the game is you know it's going to be a good game."

The last time the Nittany Lions were in the quarterfinals they had their season ended by Florida, 15-2, in 2012. The team is looking to advance to the semi-finals for the first time since 1999.  Game time is set for 8 p.m. in Evanston.

"I think they're excited," Doherty said. "Our young players have gotten a lot of experience because of the schedule we played. It's nice to feel that we know what we're in for and we just have to be ready to execute."

"This is a team where we realize we're one of the top teams in the country and we're going to play like that," McCormick said after the UMass win. "We expect to go to the Final Four, that's our goal, and we're going to do everything we can to get there." 

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A new era of Big Ten football will begin on Sept. 13, 2014, and the Nittany Lions will be a part of it.

Penn State is slated to travel to Rutgers on that date to compete against the Scarlet Knights in their first game as a member of the Big Ten Conference.  The conference released the 2014 schedule on Thursday, which also includes Maryland for the first time.

In 2014, the Big Ten will split into East - Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers - and West - Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin - divisions with the arrival of Maryland and Rutgers.

Penn State will play each of its division foes every season, along with two schools from the West division in 2014 and 2015.  Beginning in 2016, the Big Ten will play nine conference games, which means Penn State will play the other six teams in the East division and three schools from the West division.

As for 2014, the Lions are slated to host Northwestern (Sept. 27), Ohio State (Oct. 25), Maryland (Nov. 1) and Michigan State (Nov. 29).  In addition to Rutgers (Sept. 13), Penn State will travel to Michigan (Oct. 11), Indiana (Nov. 8) and Illinois (Nov. 22) for road games.

Because the game had been scheduled prior to Rutgers joining the Big Ten, the Lions' trip to New Jersey will lead to both teams opening conference play two weeks prior to everyone else.

Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1993.  Since then, the Nittany Lions have played their conference opener on the road 14 times and at home nine times.  With the 2014 opener slated for a road game at Rutgers, it will mark Penn State's fifth-straight season and ninth in the previous 11 years of playing its conference opener away from home.

Michigan State returns to Penn State's schedule after three seasons off.  The Spartans and Nittany Lions will collide during the final week of the regular season, just as they did during Penn State's initial 18 seasons in the Big Ten.

Additionally, Penn State will be in Michigan Stadium for the first time since 2009 when it travels to Ann Arbor on Oct. 11, 2014.

As for the newest Big Ten members, Maryland will be making its first trip to Beaver Stadium since 1992.  Penn State has hosted the Terps 21 times (21-0).  The Lions will be traveling to Piscataway for only the fourth time in program history (3-0).  Penn State's last trip there came in 1955.

The 2013 season begins in MetLife Stadium on Aug. 31 when the Nittany Lions meet Syracuse in the season-opener.


Follow GoPSUsports.com's Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony

By Kyle Lucas, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's track and field team wrapped up the outdoor regular season last weekend capturing its fourth Big Ten title and vaulting several athletes into this week's national rankings.

The women's team captured the title with 133 points, 13 points ahead of second place finisher Illinois.

Redshirt junior Mahagony Jones played a huge role in helping the women capture the Big Ten crown, bringing in 18 points. Jones sprinted to an event victory in the 100 meters in a personal best of 11.32. Her win secured 10 team points. She then followed it up with a second place finish in the 200 meters, clocking in at 23.37, good for another eight points.

Jones is back in the national rankings for the first time since week three when she came in at No. 22 in the 200. This week she is ranked No. 14 nationally in the 100 meters and No. 2 in the Big Ten. In the 200 meters she comes in at No. 17 and No. 2.

Hurdler Evonne Britton had an outstanding performance, claiming her first Big Ten victory in the 100-meter hurdles. The redshirt juniors' time of 13.13 was a new season best. Britton ranks No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 16 nationally.

Senior Natalie Bower continued her strong season in the steeplechase bringing in six points in her third place finish. Bower ran the race in 10:12.42, a season-best time. Bower is now the third ranked steeplechaser in the Big Ten and No. 19 in the nation.

Junior Laura Loht improved her rank at the Big Ten championships during her second place performance. Loht launched a throw of 168-9, good for No. 13 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten, just behind team mate Lauren Kenney.

On the men's side javelin thrower Michael Shuey improved his rank nationally. Shuey's toss of 227-11 landed him in third place at the Big Ten championships and now has him at No. 24 in the nation.

In the team standings the men's team slipped two spots from last week and are now ranked No. 13. Despite the strong showing, the women's team has yet to crack the top 25, sitting just outside at No. 27. 

Men's Rankings

Women's Rankings

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With just four games left in their season, the Penn State baseball team took to the Medlar Field at Lubrano Park turf and claimed a, 7-4, victory over Villanova on Tuesday, but after the game some reflection from a pair of seniors put the final weekend of the season into perspective.

s

It looked like the Lions were headed for another game hampered by mistakes, with two, first inning errors leading to three unearned runs for the Wildcats.

However, Starting pitcher Patton Taylor and reliever Blake Estep shut down Villanova's offense for the next seven innings and gave their offense the time needed to mount the comeback.

"[Falling behind early] has been plaguing us all year long," said head coach Robbie Wine, "but Patton [Taylor] pitched well after the first inning and gave us a chance to win. We've been getting hits all year long, but it is about defense and pitching and tonight we held up."

Taylor threw six innings and allowed three runs - zero earned - on five hits and struck out a career-best seven batters to pick up the win and Estep posted his first career save with three innings of one-run relief work.

Elliott Searer and Tyler Kendall each plated a pair of RBIs, while J.C. Coban, Alex Farkes and Luis Montesinos all drove in one run in the victory.

Montesinos and Searer are two of the nine seniors that will be honors prior to the Nittany Lions final game of the season on Saturday, May 18 against Michigan State. The eight players and one manager will close out their careers with a lot to be proud of and many memories according to head coach Robbie Wine.

"[Our seniors] have been a part of some really exciting times and they've taken advantage of an opportunity to get a great education," said Wine. "I hope when they look back they remember the friendships and all of the good times they've had."

It's always nice to close out your season on your home field and Penn State gets to play in one of the nicest facilities in college baseball.

Medlar Field at Lubrano Park is nestled among the majority of the PSU athletic facilities and gives players and fans a breathtaking view of the mountains in center field. The seniors talked not only about the amenities, but also the playing surface.

The common areas and locker rooms were a highlight for Montesinos, while both he and Searer bragged about the playing surface. Both infielders were complementary of the efforts of the grounds crew and mentioned that the surface was one of the main reasons they chose Penn State.

"The grounds crew does an outstanding job getting this field ready for us every year," said Searer. "Most people don't know it, but those guys do an amazing job making sure it's one of the best fields in college baseball. We see a lot of other parks and being able to play here on a surface that is second-to-none has been incredible."

When asked what they will remember most, both players responded quickly.

"It all starts with the guys I came in with and all of these guys that are in this locker room right now," said Searer. "The memories of the times I have shared with these guys, the friendships and the time spent with these guys is something I will always remember."

Montesinos also recalled his first career start against Lamar during the second week of his freshman season. He was 0-for-2 with a walk, but still gets a smile on his face when talking about his first taste of college baseball and the friendships he's made.

"One big things I will take with me is how close I am with all of my teammates," said Montesinos. "Playing with this team has been awesome and this is a great group of guys."

Underclassmen don't always take the advice of those who've come before them, but the seniors say they will try to impart the age-old testimonial upon the younger Nittany Lions as they depart to enjoy their time and soak everything in.

"It's kind of cliché, but being a Penn State student-athlete is something very special," said Searer. "You're able to compete on a national level and not many people get a chance to play in a great facility like [Medlar Field] and get an education that is highly regarded around the world."

One thing that the entire senior class looks forward to is continuing the momentum built over the last week and ending the season on a high note.

"We just want to come out swinging," said Montesinos. "We hit the ball well last weekend and we came out and kept it going [Tuesday] versus Villanova. Hopefully we can go out there and get three wins against Michigan State."

--NITTANY LIONS--

By Michael Renahan, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lions are winning and winning together.

Penn State advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament for the second straight year with a win over University of Massachusetts Sunday at the Penn State Lacrosse field. The team has been nationally-ranked the entire season, earned a share of their conference championship, and never lost at home.

It has not been easy, but they've done it with class. They've done it with style. They've done it together.

They now hit the road and travel to Evanston to take on the Northwestern Wildcats for the right to advance to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. The tough season has the team ready for whatever challenges the Wildcats could throw at them.

Penn State had a long way to go to get to this point. They started the season with only three seniors, and a core of mostly freshman and sophomores. Team synergy was the biggest question mark for the Nittany Lions heading into the season, one they have answered time and time again.

They never once blinked or backed down against an opponent. Instead, they lowered their shoulders and put their best on the line every game.

As a team, the Nittany Lions have scored 266 goals this year on 567 shots. They have shared the ball well this year assisting on 115 of those 266 goals. The 115 assists are second best in the American Lacrosse Conference to only 117 by Florida. They wait for one another to get the right pass and get the right shot. After every game, any individual star player immediately gives credit to their teammates for their successes that day.

It's not just one Nittany Lion setting the tone; it's every player on the roster. Each Penn State Nittany Lion brings her own style and her own flare to the team. They are a direct reflection of their coaches and of one another. The toughness, the grit, the desire and the determination can be seen in all the players.

Before each home game, the Nittany Lions arrive at the field in the classic Penn State blue buses. The entire State College area is well aware when the team is about to take the field as they honk their horn dozens of times in preparation. Once they get to the field, they are met by the soundtrack to their season, the classic songs that have become a staple in their pre-game ritual.

Amidst the smiles and laughter is a sense of determination and focus. While they have fun warming up to the music, each player is constantly rooting their teammates on and making sure they're ready go. "Let's go State" can be heard around 100 times before games.

The chants do not stop after pre-game warm-ups. Throughout the entire 60 minute match, the team is yelling out plays, supporting their teammates and working as one to keep the energy high. After every goal the bench explodes and the faces light up.

Penn State leads the ALC with nine players scoring 13 goals or more.  Of those nine, six have 30 points or more, creating a balanced attack for the Nittany Lions. Maggie McCormick paces the team with 84 points. The sophomore attacker has been a dominant force at the attack for Penn State and has given defenses fits all season long. She has worked very well fellow attacker junior Mackenzie Cyr, who has 66 points of her own.

The midfield has been controlled by sophomore Kelly Lechner, who scored three goals in the team's win on Sunday. She has more than doubled her goals from freshman year and has been one of the best two way players on the field. After Lechner, Tatum Coffey, Molly Fernandez and Jenna Mosketti fill the stat sheet with 38, 36 and 32 points, respectively.

Altogether 14 Nittany Lions have registered a point this season. It is not just offensively that Penn State has showcased its teamwork and desire to win for another one. On the defensive end, Penn State works just as hard.

With each interception or forced turnover, the bench lights up as if someone scored a goal. The coaches yell in support, the fans yell in support and the team keeps on working hard. They play for one another, they play to win, and they play as a team.

The Nittany Lions will continue to utilize their teamwork as they prepare for a quarterfinal matchup against ALC foe Northwestern. Game time is set for 8 p.m. in Evanston on Saturday. 

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - In a season that has featured its fair share of ups and downs, Penn State (12-34, 3-18 Big Ten) enters the final week of the college baseball regular season with optimism. Even after dropping their series at Illinois (31-15, 12-9 Big Ten) last weekend the Nittany Lions are focused on closing out the year on a high note.

A pair of narrow losses on Saturday and Sunday followed a series-opening shutout loss on Friday night at Illinois, but the ability to bounce back has been something this group of Lions has shown all season.

The Lions have three come-from-behind wins, but there are at least a handful of games that have seen Penn State close the gap late in the game and put themselves in a position to win the game.

"We've had a tough year, but our kids are still battling," said assistant coach Eric Folmar. "They work hard and they play hard. They get after it and there's no quit in these guys. There is no doubt that are ability to rally late in games is a credit to our guys not giving up."

That ability to keep a steady temperament was on full display Saturday in Champaign, Ill. when Penn State found themselves down, 7-1, in the third inning after being shutout, 9-0, in the series opener. The Lions kept that fighters mentality that Folmar mentioned and eventually brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth inning of an 8-6 setback.

"Even when we are down [our guys] are still out there fighting," Folmar said. "They don't throw at-bats away, they just keep competing. A lot of teams just shut it down when they are struggling, but our guys just continue to battle."

On Sunday some late offense by the Illini gave them a 5-4 lead entering the ninth. However, nothing changed for the Nittany Lions, who put a pair of base runners on before UI closer Bryan Roberts induced a game-ending double play to close out the contest.

An error led to the eventual game winning run in Sunday's game and a couple of errors on Saturday led to runs for Illinois, as well. Errors are one thing that has hurt this team in 2013. The misplays lead to more opportunities for the opposition on offense and this group knows that they can't give extra outs to their opponents.

"When you look at a lot of our games this season it seems like there is one inning in each game that has haunted us," said assistant coach Eric Folmar. We keep telling our guys is that we have to eliminate mistakes."

The Nittany Lions saw some of the aforementioned mistakes come into play in each game over the weekend at Illinois. In Friday's loss, a mental error with two outs allowed the Illini's time at bat to be prolonged and the home squad took advantage, scoring seven runs in the inning.

"If you go back to the Friday game, Illinois scored all of their runs in two innings," said Folmar, "so the big inning hurt us, again. The Friday score was a little misleading and we just came out [on Saturday and Sunday] and our guys believed we could win both of those games."

Those big innings, when four or more runs are scored, have been a bugaboo for the Blue and White all season. They know there's not reset button to push when big innings happen, but if you look at their games and take away the big innings this team has been in nearly every game they have played this season.

Penn State has played 10, one-run games this season and nearly half of their games, 20, have been decided by two or fewer runs. This team knows the importance of moving on quickly from a mistake and the coaching staff continues to instill this into their players.

With the Illinois series now in the rearview mirror, Penn State turns its attention to a four-game homestand to close out the 2013 campaign.

Sophomore Patton Taylor will take the mound vs. Villanova (11-39) in a Tuesday afternoon matinée at 3:35 p.m. before the Blue and White try to send their nine seniors - eight players and one manager - out in style against Michigan State (29-16, 10-8 Big Ten) in a three-game series that begin on Thursday, May 16 at 6:05 p.m. inside Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

"We are going to go out and get after it at practice [on Monday]," said Folmar, "and we are going to keep fighting and keep battling this week. The most important thing for us is to make sure we send our nine seniors out on a good note. We want to make sure they can remember these last four game for the rest of their lives. We have to make sure we finish on a positive note and send these seniors out the right way."

--NITTANY LIONS--