By Jeff Sattora, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
University Park, Pa.- The team could see it coming, following Saturday's tough loss to Purdue, the Penn State baseball players knew they were very close to finally breaking open the offensive floodgates.  Following a third straight big win since Saturday; it looks like they were exactly right.

The Lions used another strong offensive show to go along with great pitching to come away with an 8-2 win Wednesday night at home vs. Binghamton.

Just like Purdue on Sunday (a 16-6 Lions win) the top of the lineup was yet again a driving force for the Nittany Lions as Sean Deegan and Jordan Steranka each had three hits, with Steve Snyder and Joey DeBernardis each having one hit and two RBIs.

"We were able to carry on what we've been able to do the last two games," said outfielder Sean Deegan.  "Everything's been clicking, everyone's been hitting, top to bottom putting runs on the board."

When everyone is getting on base the approach can change, and the team can start to be more aggressive at the plate. 

"When we're scoring a lot of runs you can be so much more aggressive," Deegan said.  "You can try driving the ball a little bit more."

That ability to be aggressive led to 12 hits in the win over Binghamton, with eight different players getting at least one hit.

Binghamton had started off the game quick with a 1-0 first inning lead, but the Lions bounced back off the hitting of the top of that lineup to score four in the third and never look back. 

This was a great sign for the home team to be able to bounce back, as previously they had been 2-12 in games where the opposing team scored first. 

"I think early in the season when we got down we got down on ourselves, but recently we've been playing well it's not going to phase us, especially being at home," said third baseman Joey DeBernardis.  "It's only one run and you got to score a run to win, so I don't think it phased us that much." 

DeBernardis has been anything but phased lately as he has really been knocking the cover off the ball for the Lions, not only did he have two RBIs vs. Binghamton, but he was 4-5 with a homerun vs. Kent State on Tuesday. 

"It's been about time," DeBernardis said about not only the team's hitting, but his as well.  Adding he hasn't changed anything at the plate too much, just trying to be more relaxed and comfortable.

One way to continue to be relaxed and comfortable at the plate is when you know you have a strong pitcher on the mound, and that is exactly what the Lions had on Wednesday in Cody Lewis. 

Lewis was able to pick up his second win on the season, throwing five innings and allowing only one earned run on seven hits for the win. 

"I definitely pitched better than I had this season," Lewis said on his performance.  "Settle down, try and keep the ball down, let my defense do the work."

With the strong offensive outbursts and the solid pitching the team is confident they will be able to keep this three game winning streak going. 

"The last few games we've got a lot more confidence, especially offensively," said assistant coach Eric Folmar.

The team will look to add to that streak and confidence this weekend as they battle Canisius at home in a three game series.

By Cassie Speno, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No.12 Penn State women's lacrosse team will take on the No.1 Northwestern Wildcats Friday at 7 p.m. The team is looking forward to playing its first night game at the brand new Penn State Lacrosse Field in its second consecutive top five opponent.

Head coach Missy Doherty says the program has really turned a corner this season, but there is still more work to be done.

"I think we have really turned a corner in games like Vanderbilt and Virginia," said Doherty. "We are in the mix, but now our next step in the program is to really start competing with these top five teams. In order to do that, we need to dominate possession and get the draw."

The Nittany Lions struggled to gain possession of the ball against the Florida Gators only obtaining nine draw controls to Florida's 23.  In the game of women's lacrosse the draw is often said to win games as it gives the team dominating the draw more opportunities to score.

Penn State did its best to make the most of the opportunities they were given and scored 11 goals on 22 shots. However, Florida's attack proved to dominate possession time and fired 43 shots on goal. Doherty says this is something they will need to improve on if they are going to succeed against top five teams in the future.

"Our main issue in games with these top teams is controlling the ball," said Doherty. "It is all about being able to control the ball and get the draw. Our draw controls against Florida were a lot to a little, and that played a factor. Possession time is key when you play against a team like Northwestern."

Powerhouse Northwestern is undefeated so far this season (10-0) with close overtime victories against Syracuse (11-9) and Ohio State (13-12).  Doherty and her Nittany Lion squad will look to hand the Wildcat's their first loss of the season by beating them at their own game.

"Northwestern is the type of team that really takes its time on offense, but really rushes you in the defensive end," said Doherty. "If you are on defense the majority of the game against them you are not going to win. So we really need to keep control, be patient on offense so we tire out their defense and finish strong."

By Scott Traweek, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State's starting rotation faced an intimidating test last weekend against 19th-ranked Purdue (21-5, 4-2 Big Ten), who featured the nation's top offense.  Though Purdue took two of three in the series, the offense dropped to ninth in the country after quality performances by each of the three Penn State starters.

Purdue entered the day with a team batting average of .340 and five players with averages above .360.  Junior John Walter opened the series pitching a solid 6.2 innings while allowing five runs, only one of them earned, during the contest.  Penn State's offense struggled against boilermaker starter Joe Haas and the Nittany Lions fell 9-3.

Sophomore transfer Joe Kurrasch followed up on Saturday throwing for 7.1 innings and holding Purdue's offense to just two runs on three hits with five strikeouts, dropping his ERA to 2.95.  Though Penn State fell short, 2-0, during the pitchers' duel, the momentum in the series was beginning to shift.  Kurrasch talked about his mindset going up against such a potent lineup.

"I just approached them as if they were any other team," said Kurrasch.  "You don't make the game bigger than it is.  Then it was just not thinking about that aspect of it, it was just to pitch."

Junior Steven Hill wrapped up the series on Sunday, which held a completely different outcome.  The Nittany Lions ignited on offense, scoring 13 times in the first three innings and finishing the game with a season-high16 runs.

Junior Steven Hill, pitching with a commanding lead, threw for 6.2 innings, holding the Boilermakers to four runs with three strikeouts and just one walk.  Regardless of the score, Hill stayed focused throughout with the same goal in mind.

"My goal was just to keep us in the game as much as possible because we were due for a big offensive game," said Hill.

The scoring spree was a huge confidence booster for the team as a whole and it allowed Hill to relax and play his game.

"You see guys squaring bunts up and runs are getting pushed across the plate and you feel like you've got some leeway," said Hill.  "It helps you relax and know that if a run scores it's not the end of the world."

On the defensive side, bringing Purdue's offense back down to earth was no easy task.  Each starter had to be focused because one mistake to virtually any of the Boilermaker hitters would have been costly.  Penn State came in with a good strategy and the pitchers stuck to it.

"You just got to execute the game plan and we had a great game plan going into it," said Hill.

"For me it's the same thing no matter what the situation is," said Kurrasch.  "I have confidence in my stuff and it's up to me to go out there and execute."

Hill explained that the key to facing a lineup like Purdue's is to battle and challenge the hitters.

"You got to grind it out," said Hill.  "Grind innings out and just be a bulldog out there and pound the zone and get ahead."

The bullpen backed the starters both on Saturday and Sunday, holding Purdue to a mere two hits and two runs over a combined three innings.  The bullpen has had its highs and lows all season, but they have come through when it matters and their support at the end of the rotation is essential to the team's success.

"You want to feel confident in the fact that the bullpen's going to get that crucial guy out with runners on base," said Hill.  "I think they've been doing a heck of a job lately just stepping up."

"They all have a very similar mentality and they show up every day and they're going to do their job," said Kurrasch.  "There's been confidence all year in the bullpen."

Penn State's pitching staff shares a unique bond.  They joke and tease each other, but at the end of the day they are a close-knit group of players.

"We go through the same thing, the same conditioning with the pitchers so we definitely forge a special bond," said junior John Walter.

Regardless of whether they are winning or losing, one thing is certain; they know how to enjoy the sport they love.

"It's great," said Hill.  "Playing baseball is just fun.  Being a pitcher is just fun.  There's no other way to put it."

Penn State returns to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park this weekend to play a three-game series against Canisius.  Walter, Kurrasch and Hill look to extend Penn State's three-game winning streak and ride the momentum into the next Big Ten series against Michigan.

By Laura Finley, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The greater the challenge, the harder one must work.

The Penn State women's gymnastics team can attest to this. After closing the regular season with a winning record and placing sixth in the Big Ten Championships, the Nittany Lions head to Raleigh, N.C., this weekend for the NCAA Regionals.

"There are definitely a lot of emotions because we know that this is it," said junior Madison Merriam. "This could be our last meet if we don't do what we need to do and go in there to Raleigh and do our job. But at the same time we have to put that feeling aside and just tell ourselves it's just another meet in order to get the job done."

Penn State has worked hard all season to find the right balance in every routine. With two meets left in the regular season, the gymnasts came close, hitting all 24 of their routines against the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Maryland.

"Watching them come together has been exciting because you see all of their hard work throughout the season coming together," said associate coach Rachelle Thompson. "All year it has been a slow and steady progress for us. The last two weeks in the regular season they hit all 24 routines. That's been a slow and steady thing for us because that was the first two meets out of all twelve that we've hit all of our routines."

Now, with the success of the regular season behind them, the women look on to their next challenge, the NCAA Regionals. After failing to qualify for nationals by only .075 in last year's regional finals, Penn State is all focus going in to the weekend.

For the team, this weekend culminates to one thing: Bring it Back.

"Moving forward this year, there's a constant reminder every time we say 'bring it back'," said Thompson. "It's not just about winning and it's not just about a championship, it's about a daily attitude and mentality of bringing into this gym what we want to see happen and remembering how we felt at regionals last year. We want to bring that feeling back to the gym so we never lose a meet by .075 again."

With two weeks to prepare for regionals following the Big Ten tournament, the women have brought that attitude and mentality to the gym during every practice. They know that to carry on a Penn State tradition, hard work and dedication is a necessity.

"The team mindset going into practice is on fixing the little details," said Merriam. "We're coming in to the gym and trying to make those changes so we can keep advancing in the future. If we can make those changes and get bigger scores, we have the opportunity to move on to nationals."

With a season spent competing against top teams such as Alabama, Ohio State and NC State, Penn State knows what to expect from the challenge that awaits it in Raleigh.

"I think competing with those big teams helps us," said Senior Alex Stine. "We know how much we have to push ourselves every day in the gym to get to that level. It has definitely helped us."

And this experience will help the team as the Nittany Lions compete against Ohio State, NC State and the University of North Carolina for a second time this season while also facing the top team in the nation, the University of Florida.

"Looking on to the regional meet, we're all really excited," said Stine. "We always talk about the greater the challenge, the harder you have to work and raise your expectations. We're ready to go down there and show the gymnastics community how hard we've been training. We're ready to bring it back."

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion football team completed its fifth practice of the spring season on Wednesday afternoon.

For the third time this spring, Penn State practiced in full pads. Like Monday's practice, the Lions scrimmaged during the final few periods at the end of Wednesday's fast-paced practice.  The sixth of 15 spring practices will be on Friday afternoon.  The Blue-White Game is scheduled for April 21 at Beaver Stadium.

Following practice on Wednesday, GoPSUsports.com caught up with junior running back Silas Redd and senior defensive end Pete Massaro for their thoughts on the first five days of on-field work this spring.  Both players talked about learning new schemes and the progress the team has made since practice began on March 26.

By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Instead of waking up in a hotel and taking a bus to an opposing team's field like they've done for the past 28 games they've played, the Nittany Lions were able to get out of their own beds and some could even walk to Beard Field where they opened their home season against in-state rival Pittsburgh on Tuesday afternoon.

Penn State split the twinbill against the Panthers, dropping the first game of the afternoon 7-2 but bouncing back in the second with a 4-0 victory that snapped what had been a 13-game losing streak.

Freshman hurler Marissa Diescher got the nod in the second contest of the day after senior ace Lisa Akamine tossed the first seven innings of play against the Panthers. Behind solid defense and timely offensive production, Diescher tossed a two-hit shutout under the afternoon sun.

Diescher's teammate and junior centerfielder Cassidy Bell provided the spark at the very start of the second game of the day with a lead-off home run against Pittsburgh's Alexa Larkin. That run would be the only number on the board for either of the two teams until the Nittany Lions struck again in the sixth.

But with a tough infield behind her and a mix of outfielders that battled the rays looming over Nittany Lion Softball Park, Diescher said that one run was enough to get her going.

"It was great," said Diescher. "Usually that's not a lot to feel comfortable on but after that [run] I knew I had to kind of keep them off of the board and I knew we'd come through in the end."

The freshman right-hander struck out three and walked six en route to the much-needed win and said she was mostly reliant on hitting spots on the outer half of the plate in the 28 Panther at-bats that she faced.

Defensively, the Nittany Lions made it look effortless with no errors and 21 put-outs in the field. Diescher said that she was trying to keep Pittsburgh off balance at the plate with a mixture of off-speed pitches and fastballs on every corner of the plate to produce what were nine weak ground balls for easy Penn State outs.

After the win, Bell said that head coach Robin Petrini was all smiles in the dugout as she had a few words of congratulations for her team.

"Take a breath - it's over," Bell said, echoing her head coach. "We got the 'W' and we won and that's all that matters right now."

Bell said that the four runs she and her teammates produced and the solid pitching that Diescher provided off of the mound were something that fans and spectators should take note of.

"We felt this was a very important win to get," said Bell. "We were just concentrated on trying to jump on it first and keep the energy up - keep all of the positive attitude and keep fighting. We've been fighting for basically the whole season and I feel like it's finally dropping in for us now."

The win gives the Nittany Lions an 8-22 overall mark this season and prevented the team from tying what would have been the longest losing-streak in the program's history had they lost.

The opening pair of contests against the Panthers was the first two of ten consecutive games that Penn State will get to host in State College. Next up, the Nittany Lions welcome Michigan State to Bear Field for their third conference series of the season this coming weekend.

By Jackson Thibodeau, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For the second season in a row, sophomore Austin Kaut (Morton, Pa.) is among the top goalies in the nation, serving as a security blanket for his team's defense.

"Goalies are like the quarterback of the defense in lacrosse," said Kaut. "As a goalie it's my responsibility to communicate with the defense and make sure everyone is in their spot."

Starting in the net for the second-straight year, Kaut is continuing to exhibit spectacular play that earned him CAA Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman.

In his impressive rookie campaign, the net minder topped several NCAA statistical lists, including save percentage (.635) and saves per game (13.64).

"Austin is one of the best goalies in the country, and it's great to work with him," said teammate and fellow goalie Conor Baucum (Chevy Chase, Md.).

Baucum, a junior, has seen limited in-game action in the net, and has found other ways to help out his team.

"I've become kind of a 'rah-rah' guy on the sidelines," said Baucum. "This is what I can do to help the team and if it keeps up the enthusiasm, then we can play better as a result."

Sparking intensity and motivation is not the only method of contribution for Baucum. He and fellow goalie Dave Baker (Havertown, Pa.) help on the offensive side of the ball when they stay back at practice and tend the net while the offense practices their shooting and accuracy.

"We have a really tight-knit pack of goalies on this team, and that's how it should be," said Baucum. He explained how the three goalies share tips and strategies to help each other improve.

As for Kaut, the presence of the other goalies on the roster helps him stay sharp.

"Having them nipping at my toes at practice to get my spot keeps me going," said Kaut. "It prompts me to work hard on and off the field to become the best goalie I can be."

Kaut has seen the majority of the action in the goal this season, and his put up impressive numbers against challenging opponents and skilled offenses.

The goalie ranks in the top 10 in the nation in goals against average and save percentage, which is an impressive feat considering the competition he has faced.

The Nittany Lions have faced eight ranked opponents this season, and of those teams, Kaut has tended the net against four teams in the top-ten in scoring offense.

In a loss to No. 16 Bucknell, Kaut allowed nine goals, which is significantly less than the astounding 13.33 goals per game average scored by the Bison.

The sophomore still has a difficult test ahead, as the team will face four-straight conference opponents to round out the season.

"We are ready for our upcoming games," said Kaut. "We have our work cut out for us because we need to get some wins and get a nice spot in the CAA tournament."

The Penn State men's lacrosse team will face Drexel in Philadelphia on Saturday. Faceoff is slated for 2 p.m.

Spring Practice One:


Spring Practice Two:


Spring Practice Three:

The Nittany Lions return to the practice field on Monday for spring practice four.

Follow GoPSUsports.com Media Specialist Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony

By Jackson Thibodeau, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After a back-and-forth first half, a goal scored just seven seconds into the third quarter sparked an offensive streak that led the Penn State men's lacrosse team to a win over Villanova on Saturday.

Junior midfielder Danny Henneghan (Beverly Hills, Mich.) secured the opening faceoff in the third quarter, charged down the field and dished a pass to sophomore Gavin Ahern (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) who dumped the ball into the net.

"We haven't been a real second half team all season," said goalkeeper Austin Kaut (Morton, Pa.). "We really needed to come out with energy and click on all cylinders and that's what we did."

Kaut had a superb outing, tallying 17 saves. The sophomore entered Saturday's contest with an impressive .600 save percentage, which is ranked sixth in the nation.

"Austin was awesome today," said sophomore attack Shane Sturgis (Downingtown, Pa.), who scored two goals and tallied an assist against the Wildcats. "If you shoot from the outside, not many goals are going to go in against him."

Forcing shots from the outside was exactly what Coach Tambroni and the Nittany Lions planned to do heading into the game.

Tambroni stressed to his team that they would be in good shape if they didn't allow inside looks, which is something they allowed a lot of in last week's loss to Bucknell.

Kaut wasn't alone in his efforts to quiet Villanova's high-powered offense. Physical play from the defense contributed to 13 clears, seven forced turnovers, and 28 ground balls secured - all of which aided the goalie in his impressive outing.

The tough defensive play was reflected on the other side of the field, as clears and turnovers provided the offense with transition opportunities.

"Any time we can get transition goals is a plus for us," said senior midfielder Ryan Link (Englewood, Colo.). "It gives our defense some time to rest and gives our offense a good opportunity to put goals on the board."

Link gets a taste of both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. The midfielder switches between a long pole and a short pole several times throughout games.

The senior forced two turnovers and secured three ground balls in the contest against Villanova.

Penn State's offensive firepower was distributed evenly against the Wildcats, as nine different Nittany Lions were credited with a point in the game.

Seniors Matthew Mackrides (Newtown Square, Pa.) and Jack Forster (Jenkintown, Pa.) were atop the scoring list for the Nittany Lions, each registering five points.

"I think the offense shared possession and responsibility today," said Tambroni. "We never got away from the game plan and that allowed us to meticulously go through the game and secure a win."

Saturday's game served as the final non-conference game of the season for Penn State. The team will now enter the heart of their conference schedule, facing four-straight CAA opponents to close out the regular season.

"We needed a win like this heading into conference play to get our momentum back," said Forster.

Penn State will travel to Philadelphia next Saturday to take on Drexel. Faceoff is set for 2 p.m.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - March Madness.

Those two words resonate with sports fans across the country during this time of year.  It is truly a great month to be a sports fan with college postseason competition filling all hours of the day.

I'm right there with the college sports fanatics glued to the TV and webstreams watching men's and women's basketball and wrestling throughout March.  But "March Madness" takes on a new definition for staff members in athletic departments working with teams competing in the postseason.

For me, March is a whirlwind of travel across the nation to cover the Penn State athletic teams in the postseason.  The month of March is unlike any other during the calendar year.

From the Midwest to the Bayou to New England, "March Madness" travel spanned 7,026 miles in 2012 (shy of 7,912 miles in 2011) with stops in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, Louisiana and Rhode Island.  It included 18 nights in a hotel out of 28 days, 10 flights, nine airports, one train, five trips to Steak & Shake, seafood at Sammy's in the Gulf Coast region and Benjamin's along the Atlantic Ocean, 15 basketball games, 857 individual wrestling matches, one Big Ten title, one Sweet 16 appearance, three individual national champions and one team national title.

Tag along through a notebook from a month to remember in 2012 for Penn State sports teams.

February 28-March 5 - West Lafayette, Ind. & Indianapolis, Ind.
The postseason travel began a little earlier than usual with a regular season trek to the land of Boilermakers with Coach Chambers and the Nittany Lion men's hoops team.  Penn State boarded its Embraer 145 charter at 6:30 p.m. for a direct flight to Lafayette, Ind., and a stay at the Hilton Garden Inn along the banks of the Wabash River.  Game morning (Feb. 29) included a team walk across a bridge over the Wabash in 70-degree weather.  The newly renovated Mackey Arena played host to the Nittany Lions on Senior Night for a Boilermaker class that included all-time great Robbie Hummel.  A packed house was the setting for a superb atmosphere for college hoops.

With the Big Ten women's hoops tournament slated to begin just one day later, an extended stay at the Omni Severin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis was next.  The Lady Lions opened the conference tournament with a 78-74 victory over Minnesota on March 2.  One day later, it was back to Mackey Arena 65 miles up the road in West Lafayette for Big Ten Wrestling action.  Penn State sent seven wrestlers into the semifinals on Saturday night, but only three Nittany Lions earned a spot in the championship matches.  With its back to the wall, Penn State needed a valiant comeback on Sunday to win a second-straight Big Ten title.  Head coach Cael Sanderson smiled and wanted to see how his team would respond.  The Nittany Lions did just that by winning 11-straight matches en route to three individual titles and a team Big Ten championship for the second-straight season.  It was back to Happy Valley on a 6 a.m. flight from Indianapolis on March 5 to get ready for week two of travel.

Penn State Wrestling - 2012 Big Ten Champions

March 7-9 - Indianapolis, Ind.
The traveling caravan moved onto the highways of America on March 7 with a drive back to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament.  The Omni Severin staff recognized myself and staff photographer Mark Selders as prime customers while checking in for the second time in three days.  While Coach Chambers and the Nittany Lions fell short against the home state Indiana Hoosiers, the 2011-'12 season laid the foundation for what will be a great deal of success for the Nittany Lion basketball program.

March 15-17 - St. Louis, Mo.
The bags were packed and the conference championship season was over.  March 15 kicked off two weeks full of NCAA Wrestling and Women's Basketball Tournament action.  I boarded a 7:52 a.m. flight from State College, just as the sun began to rise of Mt. Nittany en route to St. Louis' Scottrade Center for the NCAA Wrestling Championships.

Sun rise over Happy Valley - March 15

The Arch in St. Louis

Simply put, Penn State wrestling put on a show in the Gateway to the West.  For the second-straight season, Coach Sanderson and the Nittany Lions clinched a national championship before the finals even took place.  Seeing senior Frank Molinaro capture a lifelong dream on wrestling's grandest stage by winning a national title was one of the most memorable things I've seen in my years at Penn State.  Additionally, it is hard to find a more dominant performance at the national tournament than that of sophomore David Taylor who pinned his way to the finals before scoring national title with a tech fall.  The night ended with the Nittany Lions on stage with the 2012 NCAA Championship trophy.  With work completed at 1 a.m., the 3:15 a.m. wakeup call for the next leg of the journey came early.

David Taylor celebrating his national title with Cael Sanderson

2012 NCAA Champions

March 18-21 - Baton Rouge, La.
With a paddleboat down the Mississippi River from St. Louis to Baton Rouge not a feasible option, I boarded a 6 a.m. flight from Lambert International Airport to Baton Rouge (with a stop in Houston).   The warm, humid weather along the Mississippi River set the stage for great stay in Baton Rouge as the Lady Lions earned their first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance since 2004.  Penn State topped UTEP on March 18 to earn a date with host LSU on the March 20.  Penn State knew that playing fifth-seeded LSU on its home floor would be no easy task, but it did not matter.  The Lady Lions turned in a strong second half to knock off the Lady Tigers by a score of 90-80.

The banks of the Mississippi at the Hilton Baton Rouge

NCAA Second Round on March 18 - Penn State vs. LSU

The southern hospitality was superb in Louisiana.  Additionally, LSU's athletic facilities and staff were first rate.  The $2 million cage for Mike The Tiger, LSU's live mascot, was one of the most interesting sights of the trip.  With a ticket to the Sweet 16 punched, Penn State boarded a charter back home to Happy Valley at 1 a.m. CT and returned home after 4 a.m. ET.

Mike The Tiger's $2 habitat next to Tiger Stadium

Mike The Tiger

March 23-26 - Kingston, R.I.
A mere 60 hours later, the women's hoops travel party boarded a DC9 charter jet to Providence, R.I., for the NCAA Regional round of the tournament.  Kingston, R.I. (home of the University of Rhode Island) is a small town with very limited hotel options.  Therefore, Penn State stayed in Newport, R.I. at the Newport Harbor Hotel located on the water.  Despite the 30-minute drive to the Ryan Center for practice and the games, Newport was a great destination with endless restaurant options and scenic views along the Atlantic Coast.

On the way to Providence for NCAA Regional

The Atlantic Coast in Newport, R.I.

Playing UConn is a tall order in the postseason, but the Lady Lions battled to the final whistle on Sunday afternoon.  While the result was not what anyone in the program had hoped for, the Lady Lions gained invaluable experience on Sunday afternoon against UConn.  The Sweet 16 loss will make Penn State a better basketball team for the future.  The return flight home to State College landed at 11:15 a.m., just in time for the start of spring football practice.

NCAA Regional Semifinal on March 30 - Penn State vs. UConn

While travel is relentless during the busiest month of the year, March is a good reminder of why this job is one of the best in sports.  Watching Penn State teams compete, and excel, in the postseason is priceless.  Start the countdown clock to March Madness in 2013.


Follow GoPSUsports.com Media Specialist Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony