UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Three Nittany Lions have been named captains of the 2019 Penn State women's soccer program. Head coach Erica Dambach announced that seniors Kaleigh Riehl, Amanda Dennis, and Ellie Jean would serve as team captains during the 2019 campaign.
"We have selected three incredible student-athletes in Amanda Dennis, Ellie Jean and Kaleigh Riehl to lead this team in the 2019 season. They have been leaders in our program for several years and have all come into their own during this spring season. They have shown the ability to work well together and will complement each other's strengths. They communicate very well with our coaching staff and have all earned the trust of their peers. The program is in good hands with Amanda, Ellie and Kaleigh as our captains!" Dambach said.
Redshirt senior Kaleigh Riehl was a first-team All-American, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and MAC Herman Trophy semifinalist last season. She has started in all 76 games in which she has appeared dating back to 2015. Riehl was named to College Cup All-Tournament team when the Nittany Lions won their first national championship in school history in 2015 and has been a focal point of the Penn State defense for three seasons.
Redshirt senior Ellie Jean has appeared in 75 games in her Nittany Lion career with 59 starts. Jean was a anchor on the back line for the Nittany Lions defense that allowed just 13 goals and posted 14 shutouts last season. Jean was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team in 2015. Jean has also spent significant time playing for the US-Women's National Team, appearing with the U-23, U-20, U-18, U-17, U-15 and U-14 teams in her career.
Amanda Dennis has started 52 games in goal for the Nittany Lions, including all 25 games last season. Dennis helped lead the Nittany Lions back to the NCAA quarterfinals for the second straight season and 13th time in program history.
The Nittany Lions open the 2019 regular season on August 23 against Stanford University.