Anna Simon stood at midfield facing the crowd of more than 700 fans while the PA announcer at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex introduced the starting lineups. Penn State was hosting No. 7 Virginia for its season opener on Aug. 26 and returning 12 seniors to its roster. However, when Simon's teammates who were not starting returned to the sideline following the National Anthem, she remained on the field. Simon's name was announced during player introductions and she had the rare honor of making her collegiate debut for Penn State in the starting lineup.
Simon's skills were put on full display as she along with senior teammates Jenny Rizzo, Cori Conley and Lauren McNally helped Penn State keep a clean sheet and defeat Virginia, 1-0.
Simon fit in seamlessly with the veteran goalkeeper and defenders, playing and communicating with them as if she was an upperclassman herself. If "freshman" was not listed beside Simon's name on Penn State's official roster, then most people may have thought she was a senior.
"I forget Anna's a freshman," Penn State head coach Char Morett-Curtiss said following a recent home win against Kent State.
Simon has quickly burst onto the scene for Penn State as she is currently tied with senior Aurelia Meijer for most goals on the team with three (all off penalty corners), second on the team in points with six and has started every game. She was also named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after scoring two goals against Temple on Aug. 31.
Simon's rise has happened quickly but the defender's decision to join the Penn State field hockey program and move from her home in Hanau, Germany to the United States happened just as fast.
The first-time Simon and Morett-Curtiss met face-to-face was over Skype. Simon was brought to the attention of the Penn State coaching staff by an agent she had in Europe. The agent connected Simon and the coaching staff, which led to the Skype call. It can be difficult to really get to know someone over a video chat platform like Skype, but for Simon and the coaching staff that did not stop them from connecting with each other.
"She came on the computer screen through Skype with a big smile and just confidence. Just really a pleasant person and we had great conversations with her about what she was looking for in a school," Morett-Curtiss said. "She had done a lot of research on Penn State so she was really impressed with what Penn State had to offer academically and athletically. I think between the Skype with myself and (assistant coaches) Stuart (Smith) and LB (Lisa Bervinchak-Love) there was a really good connection."
Simon also said that she felt a strong connection with the coaching staff when they talked over Skype.
"They were so welcoming right from the beginning and we had such a good chemistry," Simon said. "I felt like I fit in good and I felt really comfortable talking to them."
Within the first two weeks, after Simon and the coaching staff had the initial Skype call and sent texts and emails back and forth to each other, she made her decision to attend Penn State, using Skype to do it.
"It was a very quick decision for me," Simon said. "I Skyped with them and I talked with them over Skype and said 'I want to go there'. I don't know what it was, but it just felt right."
Simon did not visit Penn State before signing her National Letter of Intent in mid-April. However, Morett-Curtiss traveled to Germany for a home-visit with Simon and her family over Easter weekend. While in Germany, Morett-Curtiss had dinner with Simon and her family at their house and attended one of Simon's practices.
The trip confirmed everything that the coaching staff knew from talking with Simon over Skype. Morett-Curtiss said Simon was confident yet humble in a way and excited about the opportunity that Penn State was giving her.
When Simon arrived at Penn State for the summer term with the incoming freshman class, it was not her first time in the United States. Simon has family in New York state, where her great-aunt lives, so she had visited the U.S. before. Unlike many international players who come to Penn State when school starts in the fall, Simon took summer classes during the second summer session. Besides being "a little overwhelmed" with a class she wasn't happy with during the summer session, Simon felt comfortable at Penn State said Morett-Curtiss, who greeted Simon with a big hug when she arrived on campus.
Simon started playing field hockey when she was seven years old, which is the normal age in Germany for youth to start playing. She noticed that everyone in her class was playing so she decided to try it out. She fell in love with the game thereafter and has not stopped since.
Simon played for the Karl-Rehbein-Schule field hockey team, where the team had a lot success, and the Hanauer THC club before being scouted to play for the German National Team. Simon was sent an invitation for a camp to practice with the national team, where girls from all over Germany were in attendance. The camp lasted for about three days and Simon was selected as a member of the German National team.
Simon's international experience, along with great youth coaches, has helped her become the player she is today but she has had to adapt to a new style of play at Penn State.
While the German style of field hockey is structured, the American style is more creative and free flowing.
"I think that she's really used to playing in a discipline structured system and I think that there's more mobility to our game but she's done really well," Morett-Curtiss said.
Simon is still learning more about her position on the backline, like when to be in more of a cover position or when to be more physically challenging with attackers or when to protect the space on defense instead of following the ball.
From connecting with the coaching staff over Skype to taking summer classes to making her debut against Virginia, Simon has been poised through it all. Simon may be listed as a freshman on the roster but so far this season she's played like a veteran. With No. 22 Ohio State up next for Penn State, Simon has another opportunity to show her talent in an important game.
"She's got a lot of composure when she's on the ball and she's adjusted to that tempo," Morett-Curtiss said. "She is very mature for a freshman on the field for those big games."
