By Cassie Speno, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Six seniors will take the field for their last home game on Saturday against Princeton. Dana Cahill, Theresa Zichelli, Aly Adams, Brittany Chamberlain, Kelsey Hughes and Elaine Welch will be honored at centerfield accompanied by their parents prior to the opening draw.

These six seniors took time to reflect on their last four years as student athletes here at Penn State University. These long time teammates and friends shared why they chose Penn State and their favorite memories both on and off the lacrosse field.

Goalie and captain Dana Cahill has established herself as one of the nations top goalkeepers. Earning First Team All-West/Midwest Region and All-ALC honors in addition to being named ALC Goalkeeper of the Year. Cahill finished the 2011 season with a 9.95 goals against average, a .466 save percentage, 150 saves, and a team-high 47 ground balls.  In 2012 Cahill has been selected as a nominee for the Tewaarton Award given to the nations top female lacrosse player. Cahill's stats are extremely impressive with a 9.98 goals against average, a .514 save percentage and 149 saves.

Assistant coach Amy Altig hopes Cahill looks back on her career and is as proud of her accomplishments as all of her teammates and coaches are.

"For her, I hope she looks back at the end of this year and says I had an awesome senior year," said Altig. "All the accolades aside, I hope she is proud of herself for the progress she has made in her career. I know we couldn't be more proud of her and I know her teammates are."

Co-captain, Theresa Zichelli a four-year starter in the midfield has been instrumental to the success of this program these last four years. When you think of Theresa Zichelli the word determined comes to mind. Zichelli consistently gives 100 percent both on and off the lacrosse field. Going into this season Zichelli's personal goal was to be a larger threat on offense and she has accomplished just that. Zichelli is the fifth leading goal scorer on the team with 19 goals, and registered a notable 23 groundballs, 22 draw controls and 11 caused turnovers.

Aly Adams a native of Springfield, Pa. has been coming to Penn State for eight years now. Prior to attending Penn State Adams would come visit her brother, Drew, who was a stand out goalie on the men's team. Adams says ever since she was a little girl her dream was to attend Penn State.

"Whenever I came to watch Drew, I knew this was the place I wanted to be," said Adams. "I am so honored to say I have played lacrosse here and that I am graduating with a Penn State degree. In my last four years I have had so many great memories that I can't choose a favorite."

Elaine Welch from Bernardsville, N.J., saw action in 11 games this season with starts against Florida and Northwestern. When reminiscing on her experience at Penn State Welch remembered the first time she drove to Penn State and saw Beaver Stadium from Route 80.

"I can't imagine what it is going to feel like when I see the stadium in my rear view mirror driving home after graduation," said Welch. "This school, my teammates and the memories I have made here I will never forget. These last four years have gone by way too fast."

Brittany Chamberlain, a defender from Finksburg, Md., made appearances in eight games this season before she was sidelined for two separate concussions. However, the injuries haven't stopped her. Chamberlains vocal leadership can still be heard from the sideline. She has a voice people listen to and the defensive unit still looks to her for advice.

"I want to make my teammates around me better for the future of this program," said Chamberlain. "I want to make an impact and leave my mark even though I haven't been able to play."

Kelsey Hughes transferred her sophomore year from the University of Denver to be a part of something special.

"The best thing about this school is the amount of pride the students and alumni have for this school," said Hughes. "I love wearing my Penn State clothes and getting "We Are" chanted at me when I am at home in Maryland. I am proud to have been a part of this University and say I graduated from Penn State with 'Success with Honor'."

These six seniors have one last wish before they leave and that is to win the ALC tournament title and make it the NCAA tournament for the first time in their collegiate careers.

Follow these six seniors and the rest of the Nittany Lions as they close out their regular season play this Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Penn State Lacrosse Stadium.

By Cassie Speno, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- The Nittany Lions' starting lineup features five freshmen that have truly made an impact on the success of the women's lacrosse program this season. Even though they are just freshmen, Tatum Coffey, Haley Ford, Cat Layne, Kelly Lechner and Maggie McCormick sure don't play like it on the lacrosse field. These Nittany Lions bring versatility, talent, speed and composure to every practice and game.

"Our freshmen have made a great push for our team," said Missy Doherty. "In the midfield with Tatum Coffey, Kelly Lechner and Haley Ford, defensively Cat Layne has been in and out of the line up and in the attacking end we have Maggie McCormick."

Coffey, a New Jersey native, leads the team in goals scored (29) and draw controls (45). Coffey also has an impressive (22) number of ground balls (22) and caused turnovers (15) on the season. In the Nittany Lion's victories over Hofstra and Vanderbilt Coffey registered 11 of her career goals earning her ALC Offensive Player of the week, Women'sLax.com Rookie of the Week, Nike Player of the Week and SynapseSports.com National Offensive Player of the Week.

Ford has also made a tremendous impact since her debut. After registering a hat trick against Northwestern, this White Hall, Md. native earned herself a starting position in both the Lehigh and Ohio State games. Ford registered a goal against Lehigh and a career-high four goals against Ohio State.

Layne, a defender from Downingtown, Pa., has started in eight games this season. Layne a talented 1v1 defender has been crucial in the Nittany Lion's success defensively this season.

Lechner has been a phenomenal all around player for the Nittany Lions. Lechner is a key presence in both the attacking and defensive ends of the field and brings a great deal of speed. In 13 games, she has scored 16 goals, registered four assists, controlled 20 ground balls and 15 draw controls.

McCormick, an Eldersburg, Md., native, earned ALC Rookie of the Week and Womenslax.com Rookie of the week for the second time this season after her stellar performances against Lehigh and Ohio State. McCormick who is second on the team in total points (42) is the quarterback to Penn State's offense. McCormick, with a team high (23) assists, ranks second nationally among freshmen in this leader category.

Together the five rookies have combined for a total of 73 goals, 30 assists, 70 draw controls and 58 ground balls. Head coach Missy Doherty is looking forward to their continued success this season and the direction in which they are going to take the program.

Follow these five freshmen and the rest of the Penn State women's lacrosse team as they close out their regular season with Johns Hopkins this Saturday and Princeton on April 28.

By Cassie Speno, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa - Beginning with the 2012 women's lacrosse season, the NCAA Rules Committee announced several rule changes, which would take effect this season.

Little did the lacrosse community know what an impact these changes would truly have on the sport of women's lacrosse. Head coach Missy Doherty who is a member of the NCAA Rules Committee supports the changes and believes it will make the game much cleaner.

The rule changes have taken place on two crucial aspects of the game, the issuing of yellow cards for dangerous fouls and the number of players allowed on the circle during the draw.

"I do agree with the new rule changes that have been put in place," said Doherty.  "It is an off sides call that has been changed for the most part. With the new rule, you have to have four people behind the restraining line, whether it is on the attacking end or on the defensive end. The rule is an important change in the game because before when you got a yellow card there was no consequence as you were still playing even at both ends. Now you have to care a little bit more because you are going to be down a player on both ends of the field."

The player that has been issued a yellow card is now required to sit or stand in front of the scoring table. Prior to the change the player who committed the foul was able to resume standing on the sideline next to her coaches and the rest of the team.

"Having the player sit near the scoring table is really for the referees," said Doherty. "This way they know there is a penalty and one team should be playing man down."

Once issued a yellow card the player is required to sit out of the contest for two minutes. However if during that two minutes the opposing team scores, the penalty is then released.

In the Nittany Lions match up against the Florida Gators, yellow cards proved to be an issue during the contest. Penn State was issued six yellow cards, which relegated two key players to the sideline for the remainder of the game.

"Florida was a physical game it was unfortunate that we were the recipients of all the cards," said Doherty. "I thought both teams were equally physical, but unfortunately sometimes that how it goes."

Even though the new rule has shown some disadvantages for the squad this season, it has also shown its perks. The Penn State women's lacrosse team prides itself on its man up offense. One of the squad's best assets is their man up offense.

"Our man up offense is one of our best assets as a team," said Doherty. "We have some smart attackers that see the field really well. Our game-winning overtime goal against Vanderbilt was a man up goal. Maggie sat behind the cage and had a couple cutters early, but waited for Tatum who was wide open."

The other rule change that took effect this season is centered on the draw circle. Now, only two players from each team are allowed to stand on the outside of the draw circle along with the person in the middle.

"It allows for a much cleaner draw, however that is good and bad," said Doherty. "It is going to be hard to have an even slate with teams that really dominate the draw because you can no longer just crowd people in there. We really want to be a team that recognizes that and hopefully uses that to our advantage."

Against a team who historically dominates the draw controls, Penn State hang tough with Northwestern capturing 11 to Northwestern's 12.

Committee members in an effort to keep the fastest growing sport in the country and what some call "the fastest game on two feet" safe consistently revisit the rules each year. This year, introducing some of the biggest changes yet.

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 Cassie Speno, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa - The No. 11 Penn State women's lacrosse team began conference play Sunday afternoon when they upset the No. 8 Vanderbilt Commodores in a thrilling 12-11 overtime victory.

The Nittany Lions, who are now 7-2 overall and 5-0 on the road, have proven they are a force to be reckoned with against some of the nations best. Head coach Missy Doherty is happy with the team's success thus far and is looking forward to the conference action.

"I think we are in a good spot," said Doherty. "We always look back to that Loyola loss and wish we could have pulled that one out in overtime. But both the Virginia and the Vanderbilt wins were great wins. I think every team we have played has really brought their best game to us. I think that's a shift in the program a little bit. We are going from being the underdogs to not being the underdogs."

The American Lacrosse Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference each have five schools ranked in the polls. Together, these two leagues claim half of the teams in the rankings. The ALC is only comprised of five teams, arguably making it the toughest conference in the country. All five teams (Northwestern, Florida, Vanderbilt, Penn State and Ohio State) have earned spots in the top 12.

Leading the conference is No. 1 Northwestern. The Florida Gators are sixth spot, while the Vanderbilt Commodores are ranked eighth. Penn State and Ohio State round out the conference at No. 11 and No. 12.

On a hot Sunday afternoon in Nashville, the Nittany Lions struggled a bit in the first half coming up with the draw and capitalizing on opportunities. But a valiant second half effort helped the squad come out on top. Given how tough the ALC is Doherty knows this leaves little room for error.

"You don't get a lot of wiggle room in our conference to make mistakes and win the game," said Doherty. "We have to be ready to capitalize on every opportunity. So going into conference play this will be a big emphasis."

Heading into halftime the Lions trailed 7-4 with nine turnovers and just six shots on goal. The team was able to re-group at halftime and really turn the game around in the remaining 30 minutes of the contest. Penn State scored seven goals on 16 shots and only turned the ball over four times in the second half of play.

With wins over No. 8 Vanderbilt and tenth-ranked Virginia, the Nittany Lions have proven they are in fact a top 10 team, however Doherty believes there is always room to grow.

"My goal for the team is for us to continue getting better," said Doherty. "There a lot of areas knowing where our program needs to go that I think we can always continue to improve in. Executing on offense and being ahead of the game a little bit more defensively, the 50/50 balls and emphasizing the little things will really take us through the rest of the season."

Follow the Nittany Lions when they resume conference action on the road in Gainesville, Fla. on Sun., April 1.

By Cassie Speno, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Captain and 2011 ALC Goalie of the Year Dana Cahill is a phenomenal player and student to the game of lacrosse. She is a game changer in more ways than one and her teammates are grateful she is on their side. Assistant coach, Amy Altig, says Cahill has fantastic natural ability and very technically sound skills.

"She really has a nose for the ball," said Altig. "She tracks it really well, no matter what level the ball is shot at. She has great patience and allows herself the time to make the save."

One of Cahill's many strengths is her ability outside the cage. Last year she ranked first on the team and second in the conference in ground balls (47) and finished the season with seven caused turnovers.

"She is becoming better outside of the cage looking for interceptions and coming up with ground balls," said Altig.  "She is a complete and utter game changer. When things might be a little crazy on the defensive end, you know she's right there and is going to come up with the big save. She comes up big when you need her all the time."

Being a captain and a goalie, Cahill has a very vocal presence on the field. She is a tremendous leader and the anchor to the defensive end.

"She has such a voice back on the defensive end," said Altig. "Due to her success in the goal cage her teammates really look up to her. They know in a time of need Dana is going to be there. I think when you're a leader you feel a little pressure, but she does a great job of channeling that and really rising above."

Over the past two years, Altig has worked closely with Cahill to advance her skills even further. Altig says when training they focus on how to play certain attackers, taking away certain angles and specific opponents tendencies.

"Dana has a natural ability to really see the ball and just go get it," said Altig. "It's hard to teach hand eye coordination and hand speed, but Dana has those things. She has been a real sponge and great student of the game. She is always in here asking to do film; individual sessions and we are constantly throwing ideas at her so she loves the learning part. It is great as a coach working with a player who wants to learn so much. She was great from the start, but she has only gotten better because she is such a student of the game."

Cahill's coaches and teammates are extremely proud of all of her accomplishments and are looking forward to her success this season.  

"I couldn't be more proud of her being on the Tewaaraton Watch List right now," said Altig. "For her, I hope she looks back at the ends of this year and says I had an awesome senior year. All the accolades aside, I hope she is proud of herself for the progress she has made in the last year. I know we couldn't be more proud of her and I know her teammates are."

By Cassie Speno, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- The Penn State women's lacrosse team will be honoring former head football coach Joe Paterno's life and legacy this season by sporting his initials on their sticks as well as their shooting shirts.

The shooting shirts read "Make an Impact"- JVP. Jay Paterno, Joe Paterno's son, came to speak to the team and discuss what the quote meant to him and his Dad. 

Captain Dana Cahill said what resonated most with her and the rest of the team was when Jay spoke about the lacrosse team laying the foundation this year for the future of the program

"He is a great motivational speaker, he talked to us as a squad when I was a freshman and I just really enjoy what he has to say," said Cahill. "What really stuck with me was when he talked about us laying the groundwork for our program here at Penn State. The University is making a tremendous effort to build the lacrosse program, so we are really going to need to prove to everyone how capable we are. This is the year to make our impact."

Joe Paterno was not just a football coach; he was much more than that. He acted as a mentor to the students, staff and faculty.

The term "Success With Honor" is something that all athletes at Penn State take very seriously. The values that Joe Paterno preached are near and dear to all Penn Staters hearts and are the main reason many of the women on this squad came to Penn State.

Captain Theresa Zichelli wanted to be a part of a program and University that would not only make her a better athlete, but also a better person.

"I wanted to play for a program where playing for your school and teammates meant more than just playing for yourself," said Zichelli. "We have the opportunity to make an impact this season. Out of all the things Joe Paterno taught his players and the rest of us athletes we thought this quote was the most appropriate for our program. "

Head coach Missy Doherty agreed and said the team and the coaching staff took a lot away from Jay Paterno's message.

"Having Jay, who is a friend of our program, speak to the girls was a great way to kick off our season," said Doherty. "He is a tremendous motivational speaker and we were all honored to hear what he had to say."

After listening to Jay, the team went on a bucket list tour of Beaver Stadium.

"As a senior that just completed my list of things I wanted to accomplish before I graduated," said Cahill. "When the gate opened to the field and we all stood in the middle of one of college footballs most historic landmarks, it literally took my breath away."

After that unforgettable experience and motivational speech the team is united and ready to begin their season on the road against Bucknell.

The Penn State-Bucknell match-up at 4pm on Wednesday with live stats and instant scoring updates will be featured on GameTracker. Find a link on the official website of Nittany Lion athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com.

By Cassie Speno, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- The Penn State women's lacrosse team practiced outside yesterday for the first time on the newly-built Penn State Lacrosse Field. The Nittany Lions are excited to have a new site to call home and are looking forward to the success it will bring the program.

"Having your own home is important," said head coach Missy Doherty. "Last year we played eight home games in three different sites on campus. It will be nice once we are done playing inside to have a place to call home and establish our own identity."

The game site is currently still in the works, but has the platform set with the field, lights and scoreboard all completed. Located directly next to the Ashenfelter Multi-Sport facility, this new field is on prominent display when driving down University Drive.

"When the plans for the new ice hockey rink moved to Bigler Field, our turf was taken away," said Doherty. "So, thankfully the University provided the resources to be able to move us to a new location. In order to continue to build the stadium and put all of the amenities we would like to have in place, the fundraising will be coming from alumni and other donors. We want to build the prominence of our program and hopefully excite a lot of people to contribute to our sport."

The fundraising from alumni and other donors will supply permanent stadium seating, bathrooms and a press box.

"Down the line with more efforts in fundraising we hope to provide the players with new locker rooms that could house a special training facility for the players," said Doherty.

While the team will split time between Holuba Hall and their new facility pending day-to-day weather changes in Happy Valley, Doherty prefers the game day atmosphere outside.

"If the weather allows us, I would prefer to be outdoors for the majority of the season," said Doherty. "Holuba Hall is great because it allows us to train at 100 percent in a world-class facility.  We are never compromised because of the weather. However, in an overall game environment I would much rather be outside."

Penn State women's lacrosse will look to use the newly built facility at the home opener against Maryland on Feb. 19. 

By Cassie Speno, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Colleen Shea is not just a great athlete; she is also a tremendous student. In high school Shea attended Seton Keough where she earned valedictorian honors in her senior year. She was also named a National Merit Commended Scholar, a Maryland Distinguished Scholar semifinalist, two-time US Lacrosse Academic All-American, an Archdiocesan Distinctive Scholar and Seton Keough Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Shea, now a Penn State Schreyer Honors College student, Big Ten Distinguished Honor Scholar, ALC Academic Honor Roll and Academic All-Big Ten nominee will take her fifth year of eligibility next year to complete her double major in math and security and risk analysis.

In her fourth year as a Nittany Lion, Shea wants to make her last year with the class she started with a memorable experience.

"I really want to make the NCAA tournament," said Shea. "It would be really special to do it with the class I came in with as we have been on this journey together. It would be a great ending to our four years."

Shea, prior to attending Penn State, was no stranger to what it truly meant to bleed blue and white. Both of Colleen's sisters, Linsey Shea (2004-2008) and Kerry Shea (2005-2009) played for the Nittany Lions.

"I had a lot of exposure to Penn State before coming here," said Shea. "Both my sisters played here and my uncle is a professor here. I remember coming to a football game when I was a freshman in high school and was amazed by the support all of the fans and students showed for this school. I just knew I really wanted to be a part of something special."

Shea says growing up she enjoyed watching her sisters play and learning from them. Both Linsey and Kerry continue to be some of her biggest supporters both on and off the lacrosse field.

"My sisters have been my biggest inspiration," said Shea. "They are three and four years older than me, so while they are really competitive with each other they have always been my biggest cheerleaders. Whenever I ask for help they have always been there to give me advice."

In a weeks time Shea will have to submit her thesis topic to Schreyer Honors College.

"Right now I am finishing my math major," said Shea. "So in my fifth year I will be working on completing all of my requirements toward my security and risk analysis major and will also be working on my thesis. I would like to write about something pertaining to terrorism studies."

Head coach Missy Doherty says Shea is a model student athlete and excels as a leader both on and off the field.

"Colleen has done a great job," said Doherty.  "She is a leader in a lot of different aspects. Fitness wise she is always one of the most fit players on our team and defensively last year she was able to keep out some of the nations top scorers. She really brings a lot of things to the team not only just lacrosse wise, but also as a student. Colleen really puts all aspects of being a student athlete together, which is great to have as a role model on your team."

Even with her rigorous academic and athletic schedule she continues to maintain a positive attitude and embodies the term "Success with Honor".

"You're going to have ups and downs, but you have to approach everything with a positive mind set," said Shea. "In the end everything will all work out. You have your team around you as well as your coaches for support. You just have to roll with the punches and keep fighting no matter what."